The Government’s push for free parking in small town centres has taken another step forward following the vandalism of parking meters in a picturesque Welsh community.
The small town of Cardigan was struck six weeks ago when all the pay-and-display machines in its car parks were crowbarred open on a single night.
In the following weeks, as Ceredigion CC struggled to replace all the broken machines at a cost of some £22,575.00, local shop owners have reported a large increase in business with some suggesting takings have risen by up to 50%.
The situation has prompted one government minister to up his rhetoric over the issue of free parking, taking his lead from comments made by prime minister David Cameron.
High streets minister Marcus Jones said the Government had not ‘ruled anything out’ on the issue and added that ‘ultimately, we’re monitoring this very closely because we do take it very seriously’.
‘Unfair parking fines push up the cost of living and undermine high streets. Instead, councils should be focusing their efforts on supporting our town centres and motorists, not by raising money through over-zealous parking enforcement,’ he said.
Mr Jones added: ‘In those areas where they are thinking very carefully about how they attract more people on to their high street and into those smaller town centres, those areas seem to be doing better and I think it’s really important that councils understand that and develop their policies to make sure that they are attracting people to come and shop and frequent the high street.’
The news comes after the Coalition Government in the last parliament introduced parking enforcement reforms under the Deregulation Act that gave drivers a 10-minute ‘grace period’ before being fined while parked in a bay, a ban on using CCTV to issue automated fines in certain locations and new powers for communities to initiate a formal review into local parking policies, including charges and use of double yellow lines.
The moves prompted concern from councils, which have seen parking income increase in the years since austerity despite making cuts in spending. However local authorities point out that by law all surplus income from parking must be spent on local transport.
A Ceredigion CC spokesman told Transport Network: ‘As with the use of car parks, many factors can influence the footfall in a town’s high street.
‘The machines that were attacked at the car parks in Cardigan were damaged beyond repair. An order for new replacement machines has been issued but there is a lead in period prior to these being available and operational. In the interim, machines have been redeployed from existing resources with a view of providing the pay and display facility for and protecting income for the Authority.
‘Pay and display machines have already been reinstated at some of the recently affected car parks in Cardigan. The onus is on motorists to purchase a pay and display ticket if the opportunity is available to them. Motorists are therefore encouraged to check this and to adhere to all other terms and conditions that apply to the car parks.
On the issue of any potential change of policy, he added: ‘The arrangements for managing the authority’s car parks are subject to the democratic process and approval. There are a number of ways in which stakeholders can engage in such issues. However, taking into account the challenges of the current economic climate, it is not possible to meet or satisfy all suggestions and aspirations.
‘There are a number of considerations that are taken into account and influence the approach to car park management. These include the need to manage the available capacity, achieve a turnover of vehicles and to recover costs associated with providing these facilities.’
In 2013-14 councils in England generated a combined ‘profit’ of £667m from their day to day, on and off street parking operations.
