- First UK Parking Index: YourParkingSpace conducted analysis of 17 major cities’ parking provisions based on cost, stress, availability and convenience.
- Norwich named worst city for parking: one in three drivers in the city say it’s expensive, while a quarter report a lack of spaces.
- Liverpool tops ease rankings: residents report the highest satisfaction for safety and value, making it the UK’s most parking-friendly city.
The nation’s best – and worst – cities for parking have been revealed, and it’s bad news for motorists in Norwich, Southampton, and Brighton.
The first ever UK Parking Index, compiled by leading parking marketplace YourParkingSpace, ranked 17 major UK cities by surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,000 respondents on parking provisions in their local area.
Respondents were asked how often spaces are available, the difficulty of parking near shops or restaurants, how stressful the parking is, and how expensive it is.
Norwich topped the table for all the wrong reasons – with almost a third (32%) branding parking in the city expensive, a quarter (26%) reporting a lack of spaces, 18% saying its stressful, and another 18% highlighting the difficulty of parking near shops and restaurants. Altogether, that gave Norwich a frustration score of 94 out of 100 – the highest in the country.
Southampton takes the unfortunate title of second place with a frustration index score of 88.36, driven by high costs (26%), difficulty parking near local amenities (25%) and stress levels (17%).
The nation’s capital, London, also ranked high with a frustration total of 83.79. More than one in four (26%) Londoners bemoan a lack of spaces and price, while a quarter (25%) say it’s difficult to park near shops or restaurants.
North of the border, Glasgow sits fourth with a total of 80.26, with over a quarter (27%) of Glaswegians reporting a lack of spaces and more than one in five (22%) drivers saying parking is expensive.
Newcastle rounds out the top five at 78.51, where over a quarter (27%) of Geordies label their city’s parking as pricey, 22% complain about a lack of spaces, and 15% stating that they think parking is stressful.
And while some cities struggled, others emerged as parking havens. Liverpool recorded the UK’s lowest frustration score at just 37.79, topping the “ease” rankings for both safety and value for money. Nottingham (47.74) and Edinburgh (52.14) followed closely, with Sheffield (54.94) and Plymouth (57.83) also performing well above the national average of 68.95.
Andy Syrett, Chief Revenue Officer at YourParkingSpace, commented: “Parking can make or break a trip into town, and our new UK Parking Index shows just how big the gap is between the easiest and most frustrating cities to park in.
“High costs, limited availability, and stressful conditions can put drivers off visiting city centres altogether – but the good news is that many of the issues can be avoided by pre-booking a space, ensuring it’s guaranteed, good value, and close to your destination.”
For more information on YourParkingSpace and its nationwide network of pre-bookable spaces – available at locations such as hotels, supermarkets, and train stations – visit www.yourparkingspace.co.uk.