Sunderland's 'Free after Three' is gone, but time will tell if it's a good idea

A social media will attest, councils are to blame for everything, from potholes to the Fall of Constantinople.

Councils are therefore accustomed to criticism. It's a question of validity.

As of January 2 Sunderland City Council has raised parking charges by 10p an hour, the first rise since 2018, which doesn't sound too controversial.

However, the decision to abolish free parking on Sundays and after 3pm on weekdays, does not appear to have garnered much public approval.

The council is pedantically denying that free-after-three has gone as five city "centre" car parks retain it.

But the car parks in question have a combined 265 bays, or just 8% of the centre's 2,821 parking spaces.

This also ignores the question of them even being in the city centre. Gorse Street is 15 minutes' walk from City Hall, yet classed as city centre. Are the Stadium of Light and Scolli's the barbers therefore city centre establishments too?

In reality you can't in essence park free after three any more and waffle such as, "Changes in parking are part of the dynamism of a vibrant city" doesn't help.

Sunderland's multi-storeys are excellent and no one can reasonably expect completely gratis car parking. Nowhere comparable offers free parking. Newcastle, for example, has bays costing up to £2.90 per hour.

We also continually wonder about those who journey for miles to park for nowt; obsessive about the price of parking, yet curiously oblivious to the price of petrol.

Still, a recent Echo report suggests that free-after-three being given the works has not gone down well with businesses and consumers.

Will anyone be better off? There is no such thing as council or government coffers. They're our coffers.

The council leader said in September: “It is a fact that free parking after 3pm does nothing to attract more people into the city centre." Is this correct?

But rein it in for now folks as only time will tell. Before long we will find out how our city centre, its businesses and council revenue are affected.

We will also know if the desired exodus to public transport has taken place; because buses aren't free either.

Watch this space.