Reading Parking Charges Set to Rise Soon

Reading Borough Council is planning changes to parking charges and minimum stays across the 12 car parks it owns.

Most are in the town centre, but the council also runs Recreation Road and Dunstall Close in Tilehurst, Chester Street in Caversham, and Green Park station in Whitley.

The Labour administration wants to raise minimum stays at Queens Road, Broad Street Mall and Civic B from one hour to two, pushing the two‑hour charge to £4.30 at Broad Street Mall and Civic B and £4.60 at Queens Road multi‑storey.

Phil Grant, the council's parking services manager, says: "The proposed increase in minimum stay at Queens Road, Broad Street Mall, and Civic B multi-storey car parks is intended to encourage longer visits, which is consistent with approaches used by other authorities to influence turnover and support commercial centres."

Charges at other car parks would rise, generally rounded to 10p, "save for one place".

The council also proposes cutting charges at Green Park station and removing early‑arrival fees for stays of three to 24 hours.

Mr Grant's report states: "Green Park car park has persistently low occupancy despite clear local need. Reducing charges will improve usage and better meet local demand."

The package is expected to raise about £244k for 2026/27. In 2024/25 the council's car parks cost £2,364,704 to run and brought in £4,539,020, a surplus of £2,174,316, which must be reinvested in transport and highways under Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The policy committee will decide on Monday, June 15; if approved the new charges and minimum stays would start in August.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter