Finally! Majority of Shropshire parking machines now accept new £1 coin
The majority of car parking machines across the county can now accept the new £1 coin.
Despite the coin becoming legal tender in March and the old £1 coin being phased out of general release, Shropshire Council has had to wait to get all of its on-street pay and display parking meters, as well as the machines in the council run car parks across the county, converted.
It had said that the machines would be up, running and ready to accept the new coin by the end of July.
The council has now announced that all of the on-street machines as well as the machines in the car parks in Shrewsbury, including those at St Julian's Friar's, Frankwell, St Austin's Street, Abbey Foregate, Bridge Street and Raven Meadows have now been converted to accept the new 12-sided coin.
In Ludlow, the machines in all of Shropshire Council's car parks now accept the new £1 coin and works to on-street parking machines to allow them to accept the new £1 coin were due to be completed by the end of yesterday.
In Bridgnorth, the machines in the Sainsbury’s, Innage Lane and Listley Street car parks accept the new £1 coin and in Much Wenlock the machines in all Shropshire Council car parks will also accept the new coin.
In Church Stretton the machines in all Shropshire Council car parks can take the coin.
The authority has said that all remaining machines will be converted shortly.
Once the machines have been switched over to accept the new coin they will no longer accept the old version.
The old coin will go out of circulation on October 15.
As individual machines are converted, notices are being placed on them so the public know which version of the coin is accepted.
In Shrewsbury people also have the option of paying by phone at Frankwell, Bridge Street and St Austin’s Street car parks.
Gareth Profitt, a spokesman for Shropshire Council said that some allowance is being made for drivers who need to go and get change to pay for tickets at machines that have not yet been converted.
He said: "Until all machines have been converted our car park officers are aware that people may need to leave their vehicles for a short period while they find the correct coins."
