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Cambridge City Council

Questions about parking

Questions about car parks

What time do your car parks open?

The majority of our car parks are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Check each car park page for full details.

What happens if I lose my parking ticket?

You will be charged the lost ticket rate if you cannot produce your parking ticket when you leave the car park. The charge will be applied from 8am on the day of entry to the point of issue for the replacement ticket.

This applies to all types of ticket, including season ticket QR codes.

If I park for more than one day do I need to get a new ticket?

Not for multi-storey car parks – keep your entry ticket with you and the machine will calculate your payment when you leave. Please visit a pay station before returning to your vehicle, or you can pay by card at the exits.

For street-level car parks, you will need a new ticket for each day you stay.

Can I reserve a parking space?

No, we do not offer reservations to individual customers.  We offer pre-booked spaces to event organisers only.

How much will my stay will cost?

Our pricing structure is available on each car park page. The payment machine will correctly calculate the fee when you insert your ticket as you are ready to leave.

If your stay extends across multiple days, the separate days tariff will be added together.

How much is it to park overnight?

Details of our charging structure are available on each individual car park page.

How much is it to park at the weekend or for the weekend?

We don't have a set weekend rate, but weekends charges are different to weekdays. Details of our charging structure are available on each individual car park page.

Which is the cheapest multi-storey car park?

Queen Anne Terrace, which is situated near Parker's Piece and is about a 15-minute walk from the city centre.

I didn't get a receipt when I parked – can you send me one?

No – we cannot produce receipts after you have left the pay station.

If you require a receipt, press the receipt button when you pay.

At the exit, your ticket will be offered back to you – it will show the payment has been made, including VAT information.

What are the rules about parking with a Blue Badge in the car park?

Read free parking for Blue Badge holders to find out more, including how to claim this discount.

Can I buy a season ticket?

Yes. Find out more on our Buy a parking season ticket page.

I’ve been charged twice on my credit card, how do I get a refund?

If you paid payment through JustPark, you must contact JustPark in the first instance.  

For all other payments: when payments are authorised but not completed, your bank marks them as ‘pending’ transactions. These might appear as more than one payment, but the duplicate should not be taken from your account. Check with your bank to see if this is a duplicate transaction in the first instance.  

In the unlikely event that a transaction has been duplicated, contact us with the following information:

  • the date and time of payment
  • the car park name
  • the amount
  • your card number – we only need the first 6 digits and the last 4
  • a copy of your full bank statement showing both payments leaving your account  

We will then investigate and arrange a refund if a valid duplicated payment has been put through.

I lost an item in the car park, do you have it?

Any lost property (found or handed in) is kept at our Grand Arcade control room situated on level −1 of Grand Arcade car park.

Lost property at Grafton East car park is sometimes handed in to the Shopmobility office on level 4, or to the Grafton Centre security office.

Will my vehicle fit in your car park?

The height restriction for most of the multi-storey car parks is 1.98 metres (6 feet 6 inches) but Queen Anne Terrace is 2.1 metres (7 feet).

Do you have electric charging bays in your car parks?

Yes, find out more on our Recharge your electric car page.

How do I apply for a city centre access permit?

These are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Questions about parking elsewhere in Cambridge

Where can I find out about Park & Ride?

Park & Ride in Cambridge is managed by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Visit Cambridge Park & Ride to find out about the site locations, timetables and ticket prices.

Where can I park a motorcycle?

You can park your motorcycle on the ground floor of Queen Anne Terrace car park. These spaces are free to use.

There are also several on-street motorcycle parking bays around the city. These are managed by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Where can I park a motor home or minibus (high-sided vehicle)?

The height restriction for most of the multi-storey car parks is 1.98 metres (6 feet 6 inches) but Queen Anne Terrace is 2.1 metres (7 feet).

Where can I park on the street?

On-street parking is managed by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Other questions about parking

Do you have CCTV?

CCTV is available in certain locations. We can only release CCTV images to the police or your insurance company.

  • Read more about CCTV.

Why is parking so expensive, and why do we have a peak-time tariff?

Read about our peak-time parking tariff.

How do I pay a parking fine?

Parking fines – sometime referred to a penalty charge notices or PCNs – are issued by Cambridgeshire County Council. Find out more about parking tickets and appeals.

How do I apply for a residential parking permit?

Residents are not permitted car park season tickets.

For information about on-street parking, contact Parking Services at Cambridgeshire County Council:

What are your parking services’ terms and conditions?

We operate and manage our car parks in line with the our off-street traffic regulation order.

What can I do if I have a compliment or complaint about the services received?

You can send us a compliment or make a complaint online.

Please address your comments to ‘Parking services’.

Contact us

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