Cheshire East Councillors are looking to introduce car parking charges in all its towns.
Council members approved Cheshire East Council’s budget for 2020-21 which included a parking strategy expected to bring in an extra £1.5 million by the end of 2021-22 – with towns currently enjoying free parking, or lower-cost parking, being re-assessed.
Cllr Brian Puddicombe, Labour, said: “Looking at parking charges on a town-by-town basis will make it fairer across the borough. If I choose to take a car to a town centre, I expect to pay to park, but these charges should be fair.”
“The review being undertaken will enable us to ensure drivers are paying a fair charge where parking is currently free – and even to reduce charges where it is clear the charges are putting off people visiting a town centre.”
“My casework since last May can really be summed up by ‘parking, parking, parking’ – so any money spent to look to improve this will be welcomed by me.”
Car parking is currently free in some towns, such as Middlewich and Sandbach, while others have a variety of different rates.
CEC is set to conduct parking reviews on a town-by-town basis, to establish what needs to be done to make parking work for each town centre, including possible changes to parking charges.
Cllr Arthur Moran, independent, said he was ‘worried’ about the extra cash expected to come into CEC from parking.”
He said: “This means an increase in charges for those who already pay, or everybody pays, so the strategy needs to be going out to consultation before any implementation.”
Parking has long been a bone of contention in Wilmslow, with council-owned car parks often filled up with commuters by early morning. The town is the first to have its parking review conducted before last May’s election – and Cllr Craig Browne, CEC’s deputy leader, confirmed the results would be published imminently.
Cllr Don Stockton, Conservative member for Lacey Green, added: “I have been deluged with enquiries from residents in my ward who, having attended consultation meetings and given their views over 12 months ago, have been expecting publication of this review.”
Wrapping up the budget debate, Cllr Amanda Stott, cabinet member for finance, ICT and communication, admitted car parking is a ‘hot topic’ – and insisted there would be plenty of opportunities for councillors to have their say on each town’s parking review.
This website uses cookies to improve the experience our website users receive and to track page hits and the like. If you continue to use our website then we are assuming you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
I ❤ Macc Cookie Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login