To think this parking sign is extremely confusing?

[EvenMoreFuriousVexation]

I've been driving for 35 years and I'm usually pretty good with working out where I can and can't park, but this one is baffling me!

I've been on highways.gov.uk and they don't have any examples like this where a red route is mixed with parking.

It seems to contradict itself 🤔 Like I can park and pay at machine between 8am and 10pm... And then between 10pm and 8am it's free parking?? Then why is it a red route?!

I am guessing there are marked areas for parking? My guess is that's what the P and Z1 refer to.

If I am right I would read it as:

No stopping at any time
Except in areas P and Z1 where:
Between 8am-10pm you pay
10pm-8am it's free

But I would agree it isn't great, but without full location context is hard to say.

EDIt to say it appears that whatever Z1 refers to isn't available 10pm-8am

Edited cos I read the times wrong at the start.

I think it’s resident only (Zone 1) parking during the day. Then anyone can park overnight. Presumably in marked bays and not on the other bits. Does it have the pavement parking you see sometimes in London?

Agree it is not easy to immediately understand though. I would definitely not park there just in case!

See the Z1 thing I think is parking permits OR pay at machine - based on where I used to live this was the signage. But that was in a residential area not a clearway!

This is outside of a hotel in Nottingham city centre and the staff seemed to think it would be fine parking there for free until 8am then go and pay, but they wouldn't be the ones paying the ticket, would they... I ended up paying for parking round the corner in a less confusingly-marked spot.

It still begs the question of why a red route would have any parking at all especially during the day. These aren't off road bays.

I expect it means in marked bays; and the double red lines outside the bays mean “no stopping at any time”.

What makes you think there is any free parking?

It seems to me that to park between the specified times you either need a zone 1 permit or you need to pay. Outside those times you can park freely paying attention to marked bays, double yellows etc.

strange though where it says at other times P
i presume you can park for free after 10 pm
between 8 am and 10 pm you pay
but it is also a no stopping,