Cleveland Parking Trial - Bloomfield and Middle Streets: Business Impacts

Balancing on-street parking time limits with the number of parking spaces available is an essential step in ensuring our town centres, such as Cleveland, are accessible and vibrant places.

Of course, parking is not the only solution.

Good public transport access and walking and cycling friendly spaces are also vital, but putting time limits on parking spaces also helps ensure the turnover of parking so more people have access to the available parking spaces.

Parking needs are also varied.

While some businesses cater to quick turnover customers, others may need longer parking spaces for theirs.

Currently, parking in Cleveland centre is dominated by three-hour parking, with the trial set to test one-hour parking in specific places.

An over emphasis on long-term parking can limit business turnover and frustrate members of the community who are unable to conduct their business because they cannot access parking.

To help strike a balance, Council has agreed to a trial of short-term parking for 26 parking spaces in Middle Street and Bloomfield Street, Cleveland.

There are more than 600 on-street parking spaces in Cleveland central.

The new one-hour parking spaces are in the following locations:

• 17 parking spaces on Bloomfield Street running from approximately outside Westpac Bank (on the corner of Bloomfield and Middle streets) to Stephen Dibb Jewellers
• 6 parking spaces on Middle Street, running from approximately Gisler’s Pie Café and Subway to Westpac Bank (on the corner of Bloomfield and Middle streets).
• 3 spaces on Bloomfield Street approximately outside Bloomfield Street News

The trial is running from December 2020 to October 2021.

These parking spaces have been identified as those that regularly experience high demand for parking, retail and pedestrian movement.