New parking changes to come into effect next week

by Lisa Reeves

Tuesday 20^th May 2025

Tue 20^th May 2025

Residents are being reminded that changes to parking arrangements will come into effect at Cheshire East car parks on Monday, 26th May.

Changes at council-operated car parks as of this date will include:

Parking charges will be extended by four hours to cover the period 8am-10pm.
Parking charges will apply on Sundays – based on the weekday tariffs for each car park.
A new tariff band will be introduced that will allow motorists to purchase parking for up to 14 hours.
There will be an increase in some parking charges and permits, which reflects the tariffs charged by similar councils. As an example, low tariff bands will see an increase of 10 pence per hour.

The council's 'free after 3pm' initiative will remain in operation at one car park in each of Cheshire East's towns and villages. At these specific car parks, 'free after 3pm' also applies on Sundays.

Details of the changes will be publicised in car parks.

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Pete Wright

Tuesday 20^th May 2025 at 7:27 pm

Outrageous and unwarranted money grab by a council which can't get their house in order, as was referenced recently by central government which highlighted "significant concerns about the council’s financial strategy" as well as "concerns around leadership capacity". Sounds about right.

Charlie Cook

Wednesday 21^st May 2025 at 3:39 pm

There goes the advantage the Rex had. Off to the Curzon now.

William McQueen

Wednesday 21^st May 2025 at 5:55 pm

CECC really don’t like us. The extension of parking by 4 hours is utterly pointless but necessary to sock it to the residents again. Even our free day on Sundays is too much for them to bear. Even car parking in Manchester ends at 8pm - why 10pm in Wilmslow, there’s nobody about!!

Simon Atkins

Wednesday 21^st May 2025 at 6:27 pm

CEC destroying local businesses again

Hilary Pinnock

Thursday 22^nd May 2025 at 11:56 am

Why don't they think outside the box and offer actual Wilmslow residents preferential parking. No imagination whatsoever. Just ongoing financial rape of folk who pay their rates for dwindling services. Shame on you.

Nick Jones

Thursday 22^nd May 2025 at 12:02 pm

Myopic . Handforth Dean, Stanley Green, Baguley, Altrincham, Local German supermarkets will benefit.

Brian Hull

Thursday 22^nd May 2025 at 7:20 pm

Broadway Meadow car park is free after 3p.m. so no need to desert the Rex Charlie

Richard Mason

Friday 23^rd May 2025 at 10:28 am

I have to say that I don't like paying for car parking and love the idea of a preferential rate for locals - that would be a great idea to help those who need to drive and park close to the centre.
Why the increase though? I am amazed that as well as maintaining the car parks they operate - which is reasonable - CEC have to pay business rates on them to Westminster, who give 70% of that money to other areas. So effectively, we pay to park in Wilmslow and some of that money goes to manage the car park, but some goes to provide council services in Liverpool or Scunthorpe (nothing against those places)

Alan Brough

Friday 23^rd May 2025 at 8:31 pm

Regrettably there is little reason to visit Wilmslow’s town centre anymore. The soulless precinct of Grove Street has become boring and uninteresting. Water Lane offers nothing other than very niche jewellery, fashion and (excellent) charity shops as well as some decent (though unjustifiably expensive) bars and eateries.

The main supermarket is failing spectacularly and has become a broken and dirty place to do a weekly shop.

The new parking charges will surely accelerate the haemorrhage of business from the town centre to the many “out of town” options in close proximity.

Ryan Dance

Monday 26^th May 2025 at 7:44 am

Couple of quid for parking and it causes a riot. I’m sure the majority of wilmslow residents can afford it. A few tools ….or the “look at me false crew in their overpriced oversized cars” will just park where ever they like anyway.

David John Croft

Monday 26^th May 2025 at 8:49 am

Although these parking changes are likely to dissuade people going into Wilmslow to shop or spend an evening in a restaurant, pub or cinema, it seems they are going to happen despite the unpopularity. In which case can I ask for the parking payment machines to be properly maintained so that they can be used by everyone. Many of the machines are faulty and the screens are unreadable especially in sunny weather. The heights of the screens are not suitable for ambient users to read. The text is too small on the instructions and so makes it difficult to use in poor light. It is about time the council thought about their customers, US, when abdicating their responsibility to third party contractors as the easy option.
David Croft

Hannan Sarwar

Saturday 14^th June 2025 at 8:38 pm

Our INDEPENDENT councillors really want to see local businesses suffer?

RoW councillors what’s your response to residents now? Please do tell us why this is good for our area?

Lata Anderson & Mark Goldsmith- how will this improve footfall to our town centre?

Richard Mason

Tuesday 17^th June 2025 at 5:21 pm

Is this the same Hannan Sarwar who previously sat on the council which resisted the development of a Business Improvement District - Wilmslow's Way Better - until the Independents came along and forced the issue?

What do you think of the new high profile retail businesses moving into Water Lane and Grove Street? Or the huge development investment for the old Sports Bar?

Hannan Sarwar

Wednesday 18^th June 2025 at 5:53 pm

Hi Richard.

Why are you actively lying to the public. The BID was something I actively supported during my time as councillor. Council minutes will prove this.

Ultimately this went through under a CONSERVATIVE LED council. Unfortunately it will hurt your ego to admit that.

And it’s okay to admit that the current administration of Cheshire East & Wilmslow Town Council are an utter failure.

Roads are worse.
Businesses leaving.
Bins not being emptied/ reducing access to recycling centre
Library hours reduced.
Council tax increase.
Parking charges increasing.
Council services deteriorating.

RoW councillors are allowing Labour to destroy our community.

Richard Mason

Tuesday 24^th June 2025 at 4:44 pm

Hi Hannan, certainly no problem with my ego nor my interpretation of the written word - if you read carefully, I have never indicated that you didn't support the BID. What I did was question the support of your fellow Conservative councillors on their lack of support for it, until the independents continued to pressure them.

Someone "lying to the public" would perhaps do something like have a website (such as https://12sarwarhannan.wixsite.com/hannansarwar) which indicates that they are a current member of WTC whilst that is not the case.
Someone with a bruised ego would perhaps do something such as not attend the count of votes for the seat on said council when it became apparent that they were likely to lose their seat.

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