Car park charges and tickets
On 2 December 2024, new changes were introduced at our car parks.
- Parking charges will come into effect at most of our car parks where parking is currently free.
- Most car parks will become ‘cash-free’, meaning payment will be by debit or credit card at pay and display machines, or via the RingGo app. But, at least one car park in every town will continue to accept cash payments.
- Our residents off-street parking permit scheme has been extended to cover more areas.
For individual car park charges, see car parks in Cheshire East list.
Always check car park details when you park - be aware that some car parks in Cheshire East are run by private companies and have different charging rules.
Ways to pay for parking
You can pay using any of the following:
See our video tutorial showing how to use our pay and display machines using contactless and chip and pin.
Bank holidays and Sundays
Normal charges apply on all bank holidays except Christmas day, when parking is free.
Most car parks are free on Sundays, but car parks in country parks charge 7 days a week.
Where car park information boards say 'hours of operation/controlled hours Monday-Sunday,' this means that we can enforce regulations on these days, not that charges apply on all 7 days.
Always check the tariff information by the ticket machine - we cannot give refunds if you pay on a Sunday or when you did not need to.
Free after 3pm
We give free parking in some car parks after 3pm - see car parks free after 3pm.
Why we ask for vehicle registration numbers in ticket machines
We ask for vehicle registration numbers to stop people passing unused tickets to other drivers. If you put only part of your number in, you could get a penalty charge notice (ticket).
We only use the numbers to issue tickets. It is unlawful for us to use the numbers to trace personal details.
Why you cannot use someone else's car park ticket
You cannot give a car park ticket with unused time to another driver or use a ticket that someone else has given you. This is because passing tickets to other drivers reduces the income we get from the car park and counts as fraud.
Why we charge for car parks
Car park charges are an important way for councils to raise money for services. The surplus from the charges (the money left after we have covered the costs of running the car parks) goes towards spending on roads and transport. For more information see parking finances.
Advertising on the back of car park tickets
You can advertise on the back of our car park tickets.
Scam warning
- Stay safe from QR code scams by using our parking app provider RingGo who do not use QR codes.
- We have been advised of incidents of QR codes being sent via text message or email, urging people to scan them. Once scanned these codes lead to fraudulent websites.
- To prevent any problems, download the official app from the App Store or Google Play only.
Do not respond to any text about a parking ticket. We will never send you a text message to request payment for a parking ticket.
Contact us
Page last reviewed: 18 December 2024
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