A decision on the future of car parking in Westbury is imminent, as Wiltshire Council was due to consider its new car parking policy at cabinet on Tuesday 14th December, as White Horse News was going to press.
Wiltshire Council Cabinet is being asked to consider a new car parking strategy for 2011-2026, which covers parking policies, parking charges, residents’ parking zones, season tickets and parking standards.
If approved, Westbury is set to see car parking charges introduced from April next year, with drivers being expected to pay in the region of 40p for one hour and £1 for 2 hours.
Wiltshire Council say the new charges will still ensure that Wiltshire is “competitively priced” compared to neighbouring authorities, and describe their proposals as “a more consistent car parking policy” for the whole county. However, Westbury town councillors believe Westbury is set to be treated unfairly in the proposed banding system. The town has been placed in Band 3 along with other market towns, whereas councillors believe the limited economic strength of the town centre means it should be placed in Band 4, which would result in lower charges. Also in Band 3, along with Westbury, Warminster and Melksham are Devizes, Malmesbury and Marlborough.
The new strategy offers market towns the chance to buy back a proportion of their short stay spaces in order to offer some free parking. However, Westbury Town Council has refused what they describe as a “ridiculous” offer from Wiltshire Council to pay £500 per space per annum- a figure that would equate to £61,000 in comparison to the current figure of £16,600. Westbury town councillors have accused the council of making an unrealistic offer to force them into accepting the proposed charges.
Other towns in Wiltshire have slammed the changes in car parking charges and have not agreed to take up Wiltshire Council’s offer to pay to keep some free spaces.
Traders in the town have already expressed deep concern for the vibrancy of the town centre since free parking in the High Street and Warminster Road car parks was reduced from two hours to one hour in July, sentiments Westbury Town Council voiced in their response to Wiltshire Council’s car parking consultation.
