Dear Editor
I am writing to you, to express my concerns about the way in which the Council has handled the closure of the unofficial St Anne’s Lane car park.
I wrote to the Deputy Leader of the Council, in February 2020, regarding the loss of circa 80/100 free parking spaces and the fact that they were warned of the potential consequences in the article published in the Chronicle on the 28th of February 2020.
In my letter I asked: –
1. What alternative parking arrangements have been put in place and where and on what basis?
2. What arrangements have been made to subsidise those users who work in the town and now face an additional cost of £14-17per week, many of whom are in low paid jobs and need to travel into Nantwich by car from rural areas, where there is little or no public transport.
3. How will existing car parks cope after lockdown with a large influx of users and are you confident that retailers can be assured that they are not going to lose trade due to car parks being full?
4. Will parking enforcement be stepped up to stop residential streets becoming clogged with parked cars?
I have now received a response, on the 8th February 2021, from the Portfolio Holder for Highways, suggesting that we raise our concerns in the Local Transport Plan.
They also say that due to the pandemic, many people will continue to work from home, so the parking congestion of 2020 MAY not return for some time and that parking enforcement will continue at its previous levels.
There are no other plans to address the points I raised a year ago, which have now come to fruition.
Do they not care about the residents, shoppers or the people who work in Nantwich?
Frankly, I am not reassured by the response and am extremely disappointed at the way this issue has been addressed.
Yours,
Peter Groves
Cheshire East Councillor for Nantwich South and Stapeley Ward
(Image courtesy of Jonathan White)
So, has Councillor Groves established that the people who park on free car parks have “low paid jobs”? Doesn’t always follow…some of the people who park on my estate all day for free have some very expensive cars. Why should we have free car parks anyway?
If anyone wants to park on my drive when they are working in town on a low paid job I would be delighted to offer free parking. I am sure lots of other residents would do the same
I agree. Another example of disjointed decision making being made without regard for the consequences. It’s what we’ve come to expect from Cheshire East. Too many silos I the organisation, not enough people with the vision to take a step back and consider the big picture.