Cash stops working at The Rock's car park on Monday 7 September and every tariff rises. Two hours goes to £2.30, a full day to £12.50 and Sunday to £1.70.
The car park at The Rock stops taking cash on Monday 7 September, and every tariff goes up on the same day. The centre has set out both changes on its own parking page.
Two hours rises from £2.10 to £2.30. A full day rises from £11.00 to £12.50. Sunday, which has been £1.50 all day, becomes £1.70.
The notice says the car park “will move to a cashless payment system, making parking quicker, easier and more convenient for visitors”. On the rise it says the money “will help support the ongoing maintenance and management of the car park”.
What each stay will cost
| Length of stay | Now | From 7 September | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 hours | £2.10 | £2.30 | +20p |
| Up to 3 hours | £2.50 | £2.60 | +10p |
| Up to 4 hours | £3.00 | £3.10 | +10p |
| Up to 5 hours | £4.00 | £4.10 | +10p |
| Up to 6 hours | £5.50 | £5.70 | +20p |
| 24 hours | £11.00 | £12.50 | +£1.50 |
| Sunday, all day | £1.50 | £1.70 | +20p |
Most of the increases are 10p or 20p. Two are much steeper in proportion. The 24-hour rate goes up by 13.6 per cent, and Sunday goes up by 13.3 per cent. The middle of the table, the three, four and five hour stays, rises by between 2.5 and 4 per cent.
Evening parking is currently free from 6pm until 3.30am. The notice does not mention the evening period, so it appears to be unchanged, but the centre has not said so directly.
How you will pay from 7 September
The car park already runs on number plate recognition, so nothing changes at the barrier. It lifts on arrival and reads the plate. What changes is the payment at the end.
- Remember your registration. There is no ticket, so the plate is how the pay station finds your stay.
- Pay at a pay station before you leave, by card.
- Or pay by phone at ecpparkbuddy.com using The Rock’s location code 685745, or through the ECPparkbuddy app.
The car park is private property operated by Euro Car Parks, not by Bury Council, and queries go to Euro Car Parks customer support on 01494 417930.
How that compares with the council car parks
This matters because The Rock sits a short walk from a dozen council car parks with a different tariff and a different operator. Bury Council’s own town centre car park page, checked today, still lists £2.40 for two hours and £1.50 all day on a Sunday.
| Length of stay | The Rock | Council car parks |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 hours | £2.30 | £2.40 |
| Up to 3 hours | £2.60 | £2.70 |
| Up to 4 hours | £3.10 | £3.20 |
| Up to 5 hours | £4.10 | £4.30 |
| More than 5 hours | £5.70 for 6 hours, £12.50 for 24 | £6.00, or £13.00 at three car parks |
| Sunday, all day | £1.70 | £1.50 |
Even after the rise, The Rock stays cheaper than the council for every stay up to six hours, by 10p to 30p. Sunday is the one that flips. The Rock has matched the council’s £1.50 Sunday rate; from 7 September it will be 20p dearer.
The long-stay row is not a like-for-like comparison and should not be read as one. The council charges a single rate for anything over five hours and its car parks are free from 6pm to 8am, so £6.00 covers the rest of a working day. The Rock’s £12.50 buys a full 24 hours. The exception is worth knowing: the council charges £13.00, not £6.00, for more than five hours at Castle, Parsons Lane North and Parsons Lane South.
What it means for you
- If you pay cash at The Rock, that stops on Monday 7 September. Take a card, or set up the app before you go.
- If you shop on a Sunday, The Rock becomes the dearer option in the town centre at £1.70 against the council’s £1.50.
- If you park for a couple of hours on a weekday, The Rock remains marginally cheaper, and it stays that way after the increase.
- If you leave a car all day, check the sign. The three council car parks with the £13.00 long-stay rate are the most expensive mistake available in Bury town centre.
- Evenings are still free at both, from 6pm at the council car parks and from 6pm at The Rock.
Full tariffs for every council car park in the borough, including the towns where parking is free, are on our parking in Bury guide. If you are travelling in rather than driving, our tram times page has the Metrolink park and ride sites, which are free with a valid tram ticket.
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