00:00For many in Liverpool's hospitality sector, this Christmas could be make or break.
00:05Months on from the City Council's decision to extend parking charges until 11 o'clock at night,
00:10some businesses say they're already feeling the strain.
00:13The changes described by the Council as the biggest shake-up to tariffs in more than a decade
00:18mean drivers can no longer park for free on the City Centre streets after 6 o'clock in the evening.
00:23The Council says the move was designed to standardise parking across the City Centre
00:27following a review of the controlled parking zone first proposed back in 2018.
00:33But around Hope Street, where many of Liverpool's theatres, restaurants and independent venues are based,
00:38traders say the impact has been immediate.
00:41Fiona Hornsby, who runs the Denby Castle, the Bridewell and the Pen Factory,
00:45says pre-theatre customers have dropped sharply since the new hours began.
00:50She said the change doesn't give people long enough
00:52and that hospitality is suffering under so much pressure already.
00:56The Pen Factory, General Manager Matt Haycox, says the new tariffs have hit live entertainment too,
01:02with performers and staff facing higher parking costs.
01:05Long-time restaurateur Gary Manning, who operates the quarter,
01:09says shorter dining times and smaller bookings are reducing revenue,
01:13adding that Christmas will be the big tell.
01:16Liverpool Council says it acknowledges the concerns and is actively listening to feedback.
01:21A spokesperson confirmed that authority is monitoring the effects of the revised operational hours
01:26and will carry out a full review of the scheme next year.
01:30Local businesses say they hope the review will lead to a fairer balance
01:34between council revenue and the needs of the city's evening economy.
01:37The council says Hope Street remains an important part of town
01:41and is open to engagement with businesses.
01:43Ministries
01:53For more non-time
01:54фparitz
01:56For more non-time
01:59water
01:59Information
02:00For more non-time
02:01Lion
02:02Country
02:03hal
02:03让
02:04helps
02:05меш
02:05colleague
02:06cure
02:07tensions
02:07various
02:08truths
02:09Nickel
02:10百
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