Visitors to Bromsgrove District will be able to choose how they pay in council owned car parks using cash, MiPermit app and now credit or debit cards.

The decision to make all pay and display car parks able to accept all three types of payment was made at full council on Wednesday 26^th January.

Cashless options for parking payments were publicly consulted on in late 2021 and a decision has now been made to install new machines based on this feedback.

Results from the consultation showed that over 60% of respondents wanted some form of card option whilst very few preferred cash. As a result, Bromsgrove District Council Contractors will be installing brand new machines, some of which accept both card and cash, in all their pay and display car parks.

Works will start from Monday 21^st February and should take two weeks to complete the changeover.

Disruption to car parks during this time should be minimal, with a small number of spaces barriered off, and changeovers should only take a matter of hours to complete.

Bromsgrove District Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and the Town Centre, Cllr Karen May, said: “Good, accessible parking is vital for the success of our Town Centre. We have listened to what our residents and visitors wanted and once installed we will have a variety of options for car park users.

“The pandemic has changed the way many of us do things, with contactless payments high on the list. We’ve retained the cash option on the machines for those who still prefer or need it. I am proud to say that when this changeover is complete, we will have one of the most up to date systems in the whole of Worcestershire.”

Existing pay and display machines can only take coins, with about one in five drivers currently choosing to use the ‘MiPermit’ website and app to pay online instead. The new machines will be able to take card payments, including contactless, but the decision to keep a cash option was agreed to give a choice to all visitors using the car parks.

This work is the latest phase of car park improvements to take place across the district following recent upgrades to lighting and electric charging points.

Regular car park users are advised to apply for a virtual permit for the long stay pay and display car parks as this could provide significant savings.

For more details on the upgrades contact Matthew Mead on 01527 64252 3345 or email matthew.mead@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk