Sunday afternoon parking restrictions will soon be introduced in Edinburgh's city centre.

The City of Edinburgh Council confirmed the tariffs will come into effect on 11 April, meaning it will now cost to park in the city centre between the hours of 12.30 and 18.30 on Sundays.

Streets including George Street, Castle Terrace and Chambers Street will be affected.

Meanwhile, the council is also rolling out shared use parking bays across the city, meaning either permit holders or pay and display customers can use the same spaces.

Officials are now calling Edinburgh a "seven-day city", with many shops, restaurants and visitor attractions open throughout the week under normal circumstances.

The new controls, will help the council "manage the way people park", which it says can restrict traffic movement, impact on the ability to service shops and businesses and pose a safety risk to other road users.

The changes will bring Edinburgh in line with many other UK cities which already charge for Sunday parking, including Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.

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The Herald:

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: "These updated controls are about improving conditions in the city centre, creating a safer environment and tackling inconsiderate parking, as well as providing greater flexibility for residents to park nearer their homes.

"Under normal circumstances, there is no doubt Edinburgh is a seven-day city, and we simply must address this as restrictions begin to be lifted and people return to the centre for shopping and socialising. We want to support businesses to recover from the COVID pandemic and greater parking controls on a Sunday will encourage customer turnover, allow more access for servicing and create a more pleasant atmosphere for everyone.

"The Parking Action Plan was developed with the city’s residents in mind, and measures like shared use parking will provide greater flexibility and the opportunity to park closer to home for many permit-holders. Along with Sunday parking controls, these changes are central to our broader ambitions to manage demand and rethink the way people move around Edinburgh."

Where are the new controls in force?

The new controls are being introduced as part of the Parking Action Plan, which was approved by Transport and Environment Committee in 2016.

Sunday parking restrictions will cover Controlled Parking Zones one to four, incorporating city centre streets like George Street, Castle Terrace and Chambers Street.

Shared use parking will also be implemented here, as well as zones five to eight, which includes areas of the city such as Stockbridge, New Town, Newington and Bruntsfield.