CAR parks across Warrington have seen a fall in use as the coronavirus pandemic keeps residents at home.

Data obtained by the Warrington Guardian through a Freedom of Information request shows that off-street pay and display income fell by almost 10 per cent between 2018/19 and 2019/20.

That decrease comes after three successive years of increases, as income to Warrington Borough Council rose from £430,557 in 2015/16 to £638,858 in 2018/19. Last year, it earned £580,060 from off-street parking.

Currently, the Council has made all of its car parks free to use due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Despite the increases in income, the total number of off-street parking transactions has fallen by 16 per cent over the same time period, suggesting that more is spent per sale.

In June 2019, the authority declared a climate emergency and installed 56 electric charging points at the Time Square multi-storey car park, at a cost of £85,000, which are free to use.

The council say the move forms part of a “commitment to reducing pollution, while increasing the uptake of low-emission electric vehicles in the town centre.”