Anger over car park cash cows

PAY-and-display car parks in South Warrington are still being used as “cash cows” to fund loss-making parking services in the rest of the borough, a councillor has claimed.
Cllr Brian Axcell, Liberal Democrat, told the borough council figures he had obtained showed that the car parks in Stockton Heath and Lymm were generating surpluses to offset staggering losses elsewhere.
He accused the controlling Labour group of seriously damaging businesses and cause immense problems with on-street parking in the south of the borough.
Cllr Axcell said in 2013/2014 the council’s parking service had a huge deficit of £142,000.
Residents’ parking zones lost the Council £90,000, even more than the previous year, and the cost of controlling on-street parking also rose, to a staggering £121,000.
He added: “Only the off-street car parks turned in a profit for the council, with a surplus of £104,000 – more than four times the figure for the previous year.
“A closer inspection of the car park figures, though, shows that the profit is largely due to the surpluses generated at the council’s four car parks in Stockton Heath and Lymm, which between them produced a net income for the Council of £87,550.
“Targeting just one area to fund the council’s parking service is grossly unfair to South Warrington residents.
“It is also damaging business activity in South Warrington and creating immense problems with on-street parking.
“It is time for Labour councillors to stop favouring their own areas and asking the South to pay.
“Instead they should adopt the ‘One Warrington’ approach of the previous Lib Dem-led administration.”