Public Asked For Views on Car Parking in Derby City Centre
Visitors to Derby city centre are being asked their views on car parking as part of a consultation commissioned by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
The BIDS, in partnership with Derby City Council, have commissioned an independent review into all aspects of car parking in the city centre and are consulting with businesses in the two areas and with visitors through an on-line survey.
Questions on the survey include which car parks visitors frequently use in the area, how visitors rate the car parking provision and how they rank such factors as safety, price and location.
Responses will be used to analyse current car parking provision, provide a long-term strategic outlook for parking within the city centre and make recommendations for improvements.
Martin Langsdale, chair of the Cathedral Quarter management group, which drives forward activities under the area’s BID status, said: “Parking continues to be an emotive subject for both businesses and visitors alike.
“In the lead up to the Cathedral Quarter BID renewal in March 2013, businesses rated the cost of parking as their second highest priority for the area.
“Our five-year business plan therefore includes an objective for us to work closely with the City Council and other car park providers to improve the parking experience in the area both for visitors and those who work in the area, and to encourage them to introduce targeted pricing structures and schemes which are commercially sustainable and increase patronage.
“This review will capture feedback both from businesses and visitors so that a clear and cohesive strategy can be formulated with realistic recommendations for improvements in council-owned and private provider car parking in the city centre.”
St Peters Quarter is the core retail area between the Cathedral Quarter and Intu Derby shopping centre.
Board Chair Stephen Jeffery continued: “St Peters Quarter BID believes customer parking to be an important issue in the area. To date, we have developed an excellent working relationship with a number of private parking operators in the city. This includes the promotion of special tariffs, installation of signage and the branding of some car parks in the BID areas.
“By working in partnership with the city council on this review, we aim to put together a robust action plan that will benefit businesses and visitors alike and encourage more people back into the city centre.”
The online survey is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VisitorsCarParkReviewQuestionnaire and the deadline for submitting your responses is 2pm on Friday 30 October 2015.