The new parking plan introduces a simpler and fairer system that:
- helps residents park closer to home,
- reduces traffic, and
- supports cleaner air.
Cabinet have approved the new parking plan, however we will need to carry out more public consultation on the different parts of the plan. Changes could be made to the plan based on the feedback we get during the consultations.
You can view Cabinet's decision (number 4 on the agenda).
Why we need to change the parking plan
The 2016 parking strategy no longer meets the needs of our growing city. Free commuter parking in residential areas has made it hard for locals and businesses to find space.
The new plan puts residents first and helps manage demand more fairly.
Key points of the new plan
There are 6 key points of the new plan.
3 parking management areas
Cardiff will be divided into 3 parking management areas:
- City and civic centre
- Inner area
- Outer area
Each area will have tailored parking restrictions that meet local needs. This will make it easier for residents to park near their homes.
Introduction of controlled parking zones (CPZs)
On-street parking will be managed through controlled parking zones. The operational hours and rules will be designed to prioritise:
- residents,
- blue badge holders,
- essential services, and
- local businesses.
Permit changes
There will be permits available for:
- residents,
- students,
- businesses,
- carers, and
- community premises.
If your vehicle is over 2.4 tonnes, your on-street resident permit will cost more. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes will not be eligible for permits.
Whilst permits do not guarantee a space outside your property, the plan will improve parking availability for residents and local businesses and reduce commuter parking.
Visitor parking changes
Residents will be able to get daily visitor permits. Hourly permits will still be available for flexibility.
To stop this being misused, there will be a limit on how many visitor permits can be used.
The visitor permit allowance is also being reduced for student properties.
Support for vulnerable groups
The plan prioritises blue badge holders. There will also be new permits for professional and unpaid carers to make sure those who need parking most are supported.
Flexible and community-led approach
Parking restrictions in the outer area will be set through consultation with local communities. This makes sure they will meet local needs.
Permits available in the new plan
- Residents and visitors permits
- Community permits For community premises, such as places of worship, community halls and emergency service stations.
- Carer and care worker permitsFor disabled residents who need daily visits by carers.
- Educational permitsFor teaching staff in maintained schools.
- Essential user permits For domiciliary care organisations, and council and NHS departments that provide care in the community.
- Disability vehicle permitsFor people who have disabled tax exempt vehicles.
Some of these permits are not available yet. If you have a valid permit, you do not need to do anything.
We will need to carry out a public consultation before they become available and any changes are made.
Consultation and feedback
We ran a public consultation from 16 October to 2 December 2024. We received over 6,000 responses.
We made several changes to the plan based on your feedback, including:
- Reducing the parking management areas from 4 to 3. Cardiff Bay area will now be included in the outer area.
- Adjusting operational hours in the outer area.
- Increasing eligibility for care worker permits.
- Reviewing inner area boundaries to support businesses.
How long it will take to implement the plan
We will roll-out the plan in 3 phases over 10 years:
- Short term - up to 3 years
- Medium term - 3 to 6 years
- Long term - 6 to 10 years
Each area will go through local consultation and follow the legal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process.
Where we will prioritise first
Inner-city areas with limited parking will be prioritised:
- Cathays
- Plasnewydd
- Riverside
- Adamsdown
- Grangetown
