Lockdown easing means many more businesses are opening this weekend but Stroud District Council is not reintroducing car parking charges in Stroud town centre until July 21.

And when or just after charges return following a four month break, a raft of changes proposed before lockdown by Stroud Town Council and Stroud & District Chamber of Trade will be implemented, to help shoppers and businesses

They are:

• Removal of the 10p per transaction for use of the MiPermit app – this means you can pay on your phone rather than at a machine for no extra charge in one of more than 900 spaces in Stroud town centre.

Brunel Mall

• Re-align all levels to long stay parking.

• Extend free parking after 3pm to encompass London Road Car Park as well as the Multi-Storey Car Park at Brunel Mall.

• Brunel Mall open until 9pm.

• Brunel Mall to offer shorter term parking permits.

• Weekend parking options to be explored and introduced.

• To open on some Sundays for special events or festivals.

Church Street car park

• Increase maximum stay from two hours to three hours for £4.

Also, information will be added to the back of all paper tickets to highlight free after 3pm parking, and SDC is considering proposals from Stroud & District Chamber of Trade for real-time parking signs.

Free parking for NHS, Social Care and NHS volunteers will continue as well.

Some of the income from parking will be used to improve the safety of shopping in Stroud Town Centre, including more frequent cleaning of the public toilets and support to re-configuring and social distancing of the Shambles and Farmers' Market.

Stroud District Council’s Shop Local campaign also starts next week and the District Council has been instrumental in helping Stroud Town Council implement a new temporary pedestrian scheme.

The recommendations came from Stroud Town Council Parking Working Group which involved Stroud & District Chamber of Trade, which analysed parking stay data from SDC. Charges were suspended in March, until COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

All other Gloucestershire councils are charging again, and SDC will be the last to do so.

“We appreciate that as lockdown eases, businesses are coming out of a very difficult time, which is why we are delaying the reintroduction of charges and adopting recommendations from people who know Stroud town centre well,” said Doina Cornell, leader of Stroud District Council.

“I am really pleased that we are able to accommodate most of the recommendations Stroud Town Council and Stroud and District Chamber of Trade made before lockdown too – we are doing all we can to help high streets across the district get back on their feet and trade safely, and these measures will help.”