Dear Editor,
At its September meeting the Highways & Transport Committee rejected proposals for standardised parking zones across Cheshire East.
Whilst these might have introduced consistency across the borough, there were two main drivers:-
1. The traditional Officer mindset that parking charges are an invaluable income stream
2. Labour’s need to appease its power base in Crewe and Macclesfield where charges apply
There are several disadvantages to the introduction of charging including:-
1. Parking would be displaced onto residential streets with a detrimental impact on the quality of life of residents. Officers have suggested that this could be mitigated by parking restrictions but this is disingenuous as Highways have consistently resisted restrictions except on highway safety grounds.
2. Charging could detract from the vitality of our town centres and reinforce the trend towards on-line shopping and edge of town retail parks.
3. Trade could be driven out of Cheshire East in some areas. For example, charges in Middlewich would encourage drivers to use nearby Northwich where parking is plentiful, free and unrestricted.
4. Some of our car parks are so small that charging could produce a negative return.
So where do we go from here?
Back to the future?
About 5 or 6 years ago, a cross-party working group of Members and Officers concluded that a one size fits all approach was undesirable and that charging should be considered on a town by town basis.
Charging could be a useful tool in the right situation as well as generating income e.g. to ration limited parking availability, encourage turnover of spaces, differentiate between short stay town centre parking and long stay perimeter parking and encourage active travel.
Charges might also be lower where there is a need to stimulate town centre footfall.
Officers appear to be unable to produce that piece of work.
A study was subsequently carried out in respect of Wilmslow but this has never been implemented.
Yours,
Cllr Les Gilbert
Northwich now has parking charges on all CWAC operated car parks.
I have no problem paying parking fees, but if I am just going to drop into the bank, or the post office, etc., I do not expect to pay the same as drivers who intend to stay for many hours or all day. The differential parking fees should suit everyone.