OPPOSITION is growing to Wiltshire Council’s controversial plans to scrap free parking in Westbury and increase parking charges throughout the county.
Under the plans, Westbury will lose the existing free one hour car parking that is in the High Street and Warminster Road, and prices in all car parks will increase. Many other towns in the county are set to suffer similarily as Wiltshire Council aim to harmonise parking charges.
Local shoppers, traders and councillors have all criticised the plans, saying they will be the death knell for town centre shops, already hard hit by the recession, the internet and the 20% VAT rate.
Wiltshire County Councillor for Westbury North, David Jenkins said, “I am outraged and disappointed with Wiltshire Council’s decision to increase car parking charges.
“By increasing the parking charges it will make customers think twice as they will have to spend more money for parking. The result of this is that they might consider driving elsewhere such as Trowbridge or Warminster to shop.
“I don’t think that the council realise how fragile the local economy is. The council talk about stimulating the local economy yet are penalizing businesses in the town by increasing the parking charges.
“Perhaps at some time in the future when the new vision for Westbury has been completed, there will be sufficient information to present to the council a case to have the whole parking situation reviewed. In the meantime, however, it will be a year before Wiltshire Council themselves review the charges.”
Westbury Town Council is angry that Wiltshire Council failed to listen to – or even acknowledge – their concerns over the removal of free car parking in the town.
A motion passed by the town council on Monday says its concerns and comments over car parking “had neither been acknowledged or regarded” by Wiltshire Council and have written to County Hall asking why.
Just ten cabinet members voted
proposals through
The Wiltshire Council plans have also been criticised because they were voted in, not by the whole council, but just the ten Cabinet members.
The other 88 county councillors did not have a chance to vote as the plans were never put before full council.
“The decision was made by the Cabinet which means that I, along with most of the other councillors, didn’t get to vote,” said county councillor Rod Eaton. “It’s an issue which will have a big impact on town centres and it’s something which I was not happy about.
“One part of the council is looking at ways to promote town centres and improve their economic viability but this will undermine all that.
“The question that needs answering is why would someone want to pay for parking if they just wanted to pop into the shops to buy a few potatoes or a birthday card? People come into town to spend money; we should be encouraging them to do that.”
Independent Westbury councillor Russell Hawker says that the Conservatives at County Hall avoided scrutiny when deciding the issue.
“The Conservatives failed to properly take on board comments from the town councils and others during the consultation period because they had already made their decision,” he said.
“This new parking charges policy will have serious consequences for weak town centres like Westbury’s.”
County-wide anger at charges
A growing number of councillors – including several belonging to the ruling Conservative group at county hall – have also been critical of the car parking plans.
Wiltshire County Councillor for Warminster West, conservative member Pip Ridout led a petition signed by 2,000 residents and traders to keep free parking in the town. She said, “I led with Kay Langley of Town Pets in Warminster, a petition signed by 2,000 people and submitted to Wiltshire Council on behalf of our traders and townsfolk.
“I do object to the abruptness of how these charges have been brought in – there is no harmonisation, just a complete loss of free parking.”
Wiltshire County Councillor for Chippenham Queens and Sheldon and Chairman of the Chippenham Area Board, Lib Dem member Desna Allen said, “I am very concerned about the situation in Chippenham. This draconian increase will have a detrimental impact on traders in the town. Those of us who have wanted to improve retail provision in our town centre for many years feel that anything other than a modest increase in parking charges will only serve to worsen the situation.
“My position therefore is that I do not support the drastic hike in car parking charges that is proposed, however I would support a lesser increase.”
Wiltshire County Councillor for Park Ward in Trowbridge, Conservative member, Peter Fuller said, “As a car user I really hate car parking charges. That said there are restrictions on the Council increasing the community charge. On top of this the Government has reduced their grants to local government as they already owe too much on their credit card from years of Labour over spending!
“This has left a huge gap in the monies needed to run the County.
“Councils reaction is to increase efficiency, reduce costs and where they are able actually improve services. There is still, however, a need for the Council to generate more income to meet its costs.
“One source of income is of course parking charges, whilst rationalising differing charges inherited from the old District Councils and recognising the need for increases, the charges will unfortunately rise. It is perhaps somewhat ironic that part of the increase is intended to support the loss of grant for subsidising public transport.
“I believe that the Council have little choice in this matter.
“I am perhaps one of the luckier ones and in the main will have a choice. Take the car and pay. Walk for free. Use my bus pass and my Council Tax is hardly going up at all.”
Trowbridge LibDem councillor, Jeff Osborn, said, local town councils – who are directly concerned with the viability of our market towns – should determine the level of car parking fees in their respective towns.”
Chippenham councillor Mark Packard said he was ‘flabbergasted’ at the charges. “There is still is a lot of grumbling among councillors,” he said. “This is really sending people away from small market towns.”
In Devizes, there was a petition signed by 4,100 against car parking charges. “At £5 plus (for a day’s parking), this equates to more than an hour’s wages for a worker on a minimum wage and is, of course, increasingly discouraging for those who are unremunerated or expensed volunteers,” said Nigel Carter, a councillor for the Devizes Guardians.
Melksham councillor, Stephen Petty added, “I believe that the charges proposed to be introduced in April are excessive and will exacerbate problems being caused in our residential areas and possibly drive shoppers to go elsewhere.”
