Cheshire East Council’s deputy leader has warned the days of a free lunch where some towns pay for parking and others don’t “has to become a thing of the past”, writes Belinda Ryan.
Cllr Craig Browne, who heads up the council’s highways committee, was speaking as members voted in favour of reviewing parking charges across the borough and going out to public consultation.
Last time the council attempted to do this in 2021, it was thrown out at this stage by the highways committee.
Cllr Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) said the proposals now being looked at allowed for town-by-town analysis and phasing in.
“I’m also pleased to see clear consideration this time has been given to mitigation measures in those areas where charges could be introduced that don’t exist currently,” he said.
At present, Nantwich and Crewe motorists face some of the highest parking charges in the region, yet there are no charges in other towns including Middlewich, Sandbach, Alsager and Holmes Chapel.
He added: “I think there is also an attempt to introduce some kind of demand responsive element to charging which, again, can differ by town and this could, of course, lead to reduced charging at certain times of day in some areas but higher charging where demand and spaces are at a premium.”
Cheshire East pays £4m a year to operate and manage its car parks.
Cllr Browne said: “With the council facing a £20m funding gap, the concept of a free lunch, where some places pay but not others, I really just think this has to become a thing of the past.”
He said the consultation process would give town and parish councils a chance to take on existing free car parks or cover the costs of Cheshire East not charging.
Crewe councillor Hazel Faddes (Lab) said the current charging system is a legacy of the old borough councils and should have been addressed and harmonised at the inception of Cheshire East many years ago.
“It is not fair that residents who are working and shopping or visiting some of our towns can park free of charge, yet others pay and contribute for the upkeep of all of our borough’s car parks,” she said.
“Some are getting a free ride at the expense of others and it is important for the recovery of all our towns to have a fairer system in Cheshire East.”
Sandbach councillor Laura Crane (Lab) said: “I don’t want to be doing this, but I think this is something that should have been done 14 years ago.”
Referring to a comment made earlier by Cllr Mike Sewart (Con) that charges would result in cars parking on streets and drive shoppers and businesses out of town centres, she gave Nantwich as an example.
“Nantwich is one of the most bustling town centres we have in this borough and yet it has one of the highest car parking charges, so that argument just doesn’t stand up for me,” said Cllr Crane.
She said in areas where parking was currently free, “if those towns feel so strongly, I feel there’s an argument for town councils taking on some responsibility for those provisions”.
The vote to go out to consultation in September was passed with 10 councillors voting in favour, one against and one abstaining.
Why would town/parish councils only be able to take on existing FREE car parks, why not any existing car park? I assume because this “take on” refers to the costs of operation and management, rather than the loss of potential profit – which we all know is massive on car parks. It still leaves Nantwich with high charges and no way of mitigating them.
Parking charges speak for themselves. Crewe is a dying town where the retail park with free parking thrives. Surely even Cheshire East’S Council deputy leader Cllr Browne (Alderley Edge,) can see this.
Moving to demand responsive parking charges fails to address the question of whether a town has got enough car parking at the outset. I have lived in Nantwich for 30 years and in that time the number of parking slots available has decreased, not increased, despite the town almost doubling in size, and becoming more of a tourist destination. If demand is measured by inability to find a parking slot, it would obviously increase when less slots were available. We need to know how exactly “demand” will be measured.
Councils a tad greedy and short sighted, they’ll find car drivers will go to out of town ships, town centre shops eventually shut and the councils will have half dead towns and no “rates”