WILTSHIRE Council has revealed that estimated earnings from car parking charges will be £500,000 less than expected, just four months since the hiked charges were introduced.
At a meeting of Wiltshire Council’s cabinet last week, it was explained that the newly implemented car parking charges are projecting a shortfall of £500,000.
Wiltshire Council officers have now been instructed to “seek alternative savings” to make up for the projected shortfall.
Lib Dem group leader, Cllr Jon Hubbard said “To anyone who spends any time in our market towns, the empty streets and abandoned car parks have made the failure of the new charges chillingly apparent. The Conservative councillors may not have seen what is happening in their county, but perhaps they’ll listen to the figures. A £500,000 loss can’t be ignored.”
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “The £500,000 referred to in the cabinet budget monitoring report is not an actual deficit, it is a forecasted shortfall based on car park usage data compiled for the first two months of this financial year – compared with the same period last year.
“The council is taking action to ensure the forecasted shortfall is addressed.”
Bill Douglas, Lib Dem Councillor in Chippenham, has attacked the Conservatives’ figures and called for the car parks to be handed over to local towns to be run.
“I repeat again to the Conservatives, hand the car parks over to our Town Councils now, and let us decide on parking charges. I am quite sure that local communities would be capable of devising a scheme that won’t lose another half million in the next six months.”
Cllr Douglas continued, “In forcing a wholesale review of the parking charges, the Lib Dems have fought for not only our shopkeepers and residents but for every town and village in Wiltshire to revive and help their finances, stop shop closures and save jobs.”
Wiltshire council will help set up cash back scheme but traders will have to refund the ticket.
At last week’s cabinet meeting, Wiltshire Council discussed a cash-back car parking scheme as a result of the negative feedback and concerns raised by local businesses who say that the charges are having a “negative effect” on trade.
The scheme is also an attempt to address the parking shortfall.
Cllr Dick Tonge stresses that while Wiltshire Council will help set up the car parking cash back scheme, “…there is no money set aside to reimburse traders who sign up for the scheme” and that the scheme is “not compulsory.”
This would mean that traders have to refund the parking ticket out of their own pocket.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “At the cabinet meeting last week, the cabinet agreed that the council will consult with the town and parish councils, local businesses, chambers of commerce and town centre management groups to find out if they consider that a car parking redemption scheme would be appropriate and effective in their town.
“If the scheme is implemented, the council will provide the adapted machines, the two-part tickets and marketing materials to promote the scheme.”
A local councillor and Westbury trader says he is supporting Wiltshire Council’s plans for a cash-back car parking scheme.
Cllr Mike Cuthbert-Murray believes Westbury’s independent shops are in a good position to benefit from the cash-back scheme.
Dick Tonge, the council’s cabinet member for highways, had suggested that people could have to spend £30 to be eligible for the cash-back scheme, with opponents branding this attempt at addressing criticism of car parking charges as “too little too late”.
However, cllr Cuthbert Murray believes that Wiltshire Council will allow a refund for any amount and so says he is behind the scheme.
While the council have announced plans for a cash-back car parking scheme, no details are yet available. They say, “In recognition of the current economic climate and the negative impact that this is having on our high streets and retailers, we are looking at a proposal to introduce a county-wide cash-back redemption scheme.
“Working with local independent businesses and retailers, and town and parish councils, we are currently looking at modifying our car parking ticket machines to enable this scheme to be implemented across Wiltshire.”
Mike Cuthbert-Murray, town and Wiltshire councillor said, “It’s a step in the right direction, which will help local shoppers a bit and also help the independent retailers. The cabinet have recognised the strain local retailers and members of the public are under. It is my understanding that details will be sent to all independent retailers and I think it will benefit Westbury as we have a lot of independent retailers – in fact it favours Westbury because of the independent retailers.”
