Page 5 - City Life Magazine - Spring 2023 Edition

www.worcester.gov.uk 5

Council ends car parks contract

Worcester City Council has informed Flowbird, provider of the payment

machines in its 14 car parks, that it is terminating the latter’s contract.

The decision has been taken following a review of
arrangements, and in the light of two major issues at
Flowbird payment machines in Worcester car parks. In
September 2021 there was a delay of up to 49 days
in customers’ payments by card being taken, while
a year later in September 2022 numerous customers
were charged multiple times for parking.

In both cases the problems were not caused by the
City Council, but by the payment machines and
software supplied by Flowbird and the payment
system operated by the company’s partner, Elavon.

The Council has appointed Metric to supply new
payment machines for its car parks. These are
expected to be installed in the next few months,
bringing with them the reintroduction of card
payments.

City Council sets £13m budget

Worcester City councillors have approved a £13 million net budget for

2023-24, including a range of initiatives to support residents’ top priority
of enhancing and sustaining this beautiful city for future generations.

The year ahead will see the Council investing £150,000
in new environmentally sustainable initiatives,
redeveloping the Scala Theatre, and providing £35,000
to help communities recover from the lasting impact of
the Covid pandemic.
Other measures will include maintaining the current
enhanced city centre street-cleaning service and
an extra £35,000 to help control Worcester’s gull
population.

The budget includes a small rise in the City Council’s
element of residents’ Council Tax bills.

Worcester secures £2.96m Government investment

Worcester City Council has secured including boosting Worcester’s profile European Structural Fund, and this
£2.96 million to invest in the city as a visitor destination; support for funding allocation builds on the
from the Government’s UK Shared community schemes, the arts and City Council’s previous success in
Prosperity Fund. business; and energy efficiency. securing more than £40 million
from national schemes including the
The money will be used for a wide The UK Shared Prosperity Fund Future High Streets Fund and the
range of initiatives in the city, (UKSPF) is the successor to the Towns Fund.

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