People visiting Bitterne could soon benefit from 90 minutes’ free parking at Peartree Gardens car park, under a temporary, three month revision to the existing charge scheme being brought forward by Southampton City Council.

From Friday (30 October), the council will be consulting on a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) proposing a free 90-minute parking period at Peartree Gardens, following feedback from local residents and businesses about parking when shopping in Bitterne district centre.

Unlike Southampton’s other district centres, Bitterne does not have a supermarket with its own customer car park and it has fewer on-street parking spaces offering free limited stays. This proposed change is intended to give local people greater flexibility when visiting local shops, cafes and other amenities in the area while alternative management arrangements at Peartree Gardens car park are being worked on.

Under the proposal, people would be able to park for up to 90 minutes free of charge, with a ticket. Those wanting to stay longer would still be able to pay for parking for longer periods. The existing ‘no return, same day’ restriction would remain in place.

Arrangements allowing parents to use the car park for Park and Stride at school drop-off and collection times through School Parking Permits would also remain unaffected.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“We’ve listened to local people in Bitterne and recognise that they want a simple and convenient option when they’re popping into the district centre to shop or use local services.

“Introducing 90 minutes of free parking at Peartree Gardens would make it easier for people to do their shopping, support local businesses and help provide a fairer parking offer for Bitterne, particularly as it doesn’t have the same range of free parking options as some other district centres.

“This proposal will deliver our promise of 90 minutes free parking, while the longer-term options for Peartree Gardens with a major supermarket are still being worked through. If this proposal gets the support that is expected given the feedback to date, we’ll monitor how the change works for residents, businesses and the surrounding area once implemented.”

People can have their say on the proposal on the TRO consultations page of our Connecting Southampton website.