Wiltshire Lib Dem MP Duncan Hames has presented a petition to Wiltshire Council backing the call for one-hour free parking in local car parks. It has been signed by 3,750 people – one of the largest petitions ever presented to the council.
Wiltshire Council had agreed to a parking review following a long campaign by Liberal Democrats opposing the parking changes made by the Conservative administration in 2011. The review closes this week and is looking at the future of charges in Wiltshire’s car parks.
In 2011 Wiltshire Council’s Conservative-run Cabinet scrapped the one-hour free parking across Wiltshire. Liberal Democrat councillors opposed the change and have presented proposals to reverse the charges, rejected by Conservative councillors in 2014
Duncan Hames MP launched his petition to demonstrate the strong feeling of local residents and to support town centre businesses that have to compete with out-of-town shopping areas with free parking.
Duncan Hames said, “People in Wiltshire have demonstrated their strength of feeling with nearly four thousand people calling for the re-introduction of the hour’s free parking.
“Local businesses have backed the campaign and shared with me their concerns about the effect on trade caused by these parking charges. We want thriving towns and thriving town centres, creating jobs, and giving shoppers more choice. We need Wiltshire Council’s parking charges to encourage the use of town centre shops.
“I hope the Conservative cabinet will listen to this very clear message from residents and traders. Local people have spoken, and now expect the council to act.”
Thousands have their say as car parking consultation comes to an end
Almost 5,000 residents and businesses have had their say on Wiltshire Council’s parking review, which came to an end on Monday 19th January.
Wiltshire Council started the comprehensive public consultation in October last year to hear people’s views on its car parking policy.
The council is committed to reviewing the policy every four years, and the responses will now be analysed to help council leaders decide its future.
John Thomson, cabinet member for sustainable transport said, “I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to our consultation. We’ve had some really positive collaborative consultation meetings about this and the feedback received will go a long way in helping us decide our policy for car parking.
“There are many factors to consider going forward, including the local economy, providing value for money for residents and our services, and taking environmental issues into account. It’s a tough balance to achieve but we’re going to make every effort to put a strategy in place that reflects local circumstances.”
The outcome of the review could see a move away from the current charging for parking based on four bands, to options based on individual car parks or town assessments. These options use factors such as usage of car parks and location, as well as looking at the wider economic and environmental issues. This approach gives the council greater ability to manage car parking demand and supply.
Recommendations will be put forward for the council’s cabinet to consider at a future meeting.
