CHARGING for on-street parking and the use of CCTV to enforce bus lane offences are being considered by Town Hall chiefs at Warrington in a bid to reduce a £242,000 deficit on parking services.
A draft parking strategy is to be put the borough council’s executive board next week designed to make parking services operate on a “break even” basis.
The strategy has been developed by an all-Party working group chaired by Cllr Linda Dirir (pictured), the executive member for highways and transportation.
Parking services are currently delivered by a small “in house” team, supported by specialist parking contractor APCOA.
The service has run at a loss for years – although for off-street parking, it actually achieves a surplus of £51,000. The losses are racked up by staff parking (£106,000), residents’ parking zones (£129,000) and general on-street parking (£58,000)
A number of actions to reduce the overall deficit of £242,000 are either planned or already in place.
These include changes to tariffs at the Market Multi-Storey Car Park, increased contract parking charges on car parks, revised charges in Lymm and Stockton Heath, increased staff parking charges and a reduction in the size of the “in house” team.
In a full year, these changes would give parking services a surplus of about £44,000.
But the draft policy looks to future needs as well as the existing deficit.
Forecasted income from on-street parking charges is £79,000 a year and from bus lane enforcement £125,000 in the first year.
The executive board will be asked to approve the draft parking strategy for the purpose of consultation with key stakeholders, council members and the public.
On-street parking charges looming
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
They dont get it. If you propose to increase revenue by behaviour fines, then when the behaviour stops, then the recovery doesnt happen. Off street parking fines have dropped because people have wised up. The same will happen with bus lane enforcement. Costs of the enforcement will soon cost more than the revenue raised.
The whole proposal just makes it less attractive to shop / work in Warrington and more where there isnt this level of costs / persecution.
On street parkig charges should only be made to solve a problem – not as a source of revenue – I suppose if I got free parking at the Town Hall I may be feel differently 🙁
How out of touch our Councillors are! What a way to deter shoppers from visiting and shopping in Warrington. Not very well thought out and I guess the enforcement will cost more that the revenue. WBC would be better to spend their time and energy in revitalising the Town Centre and not, once again, persecuting the motorist who is easy prey.
Some of us do……well one does anyway.
“Parking services are currently delivered by a small “in house” team, supported by specialist parking contractor APCOA.
The service has run at a loss for years -..” Just what exactly do APCOA do that is so expensive? Would a simpler solution be to get a cheaper contractor? or to not have one at all? Instead of wasting money trying to get more money out of the general public (whose numbers will only decline further) why not just do away with expensive enforcement contractors, create adequate parking space and park and ride facilities and have free parking. This will encourage more people to shop in Warrington and thus encourage retailers to occupy the empty shop premises / offices.