Sheffield Council denies free parking at Christmas despite calls from businesses

Options for Christmas parking offers to increase footfall were put to the waste and street scene committee this week following questions from Sheffield High Street Forum, comprising city centre businesses.

The options were free all-day parking in the city centre on Sundays between November 19 and December 24; free all-day parking on Saturdays and Sundays across all council parking around the city between December 2 and 3 and December 16 and 17; and doing nothing.

Councillors decided to offer nothing as no Christmas parking offer was included in the budget proposals agreed for this financial year.

Ahead of the vote, councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, said: “I’m a bit surprised that you [chair of the committee Liberal Democrat Coun Joe Otten] are even proposing the four-week option. You [the Liberal Democrats] have just put forward a fairly self-congratulatory motion to next week’s full council about your role in managing the council’s finances and the need for responsible budget management.

“Do you think it is responsible and prudent to make a spending commitment around this when there is no budget allocated and we know we have to make enormous savings this year?”

After Coun Richards pressed for an answer, Coun Otten said he thought the proposals in the paper were prudent and later voted for free parking on Sundays.

The council manages around 18 per cent of parking in the city centre.

The last time the council offered free parking at Christmas was 2020 during Covid-19 recovery.

City centre footfall continues to increase. However, it is still eight per cent lower compared to 2019 figures, before Covid-19.

The council did agree to suggest a public transport offer. However, it does not have control over this.

Budget pressures

The council, like many local authorities across the country, has struggled to balance its budget in recent years.

Earlier this month, Birmingham City Council declared bankruptcy as a result and city leaders are concerned that Sheffield could follow.

Funding from the government has significantly reduced since 2010 and Sheffield Council now receives 29 per cent, or £856 per resident, less in real terms than it did just over a decade ago.

This year the council has planned to make £47 million in savings and not use any of its dwindling reserves.