NEW car parking charges introduced on village car parks in Warrington this week have been condemned as “unnecessary, unfair, damaging and outrageous.”
Brian Axcell, (pictured) the Lib Dem Transportation spokesperson, said, “The proposals are unfair and unnecessary. These car parks already make a surplus, and will bring in more with the ‘no return within two hours’ condition, to which we have no objection. 
“The overspend on the councils Parking Service is being caused by the free Residents’ Parking Schemes operating in the centre of the town.
“The fact is the Council intends to make a huge surplus on car parks in Stockton Heath and Lymm to cover the losses being made on these schemes and it is only residents and visitors to south Warrington that are expected to fork out – there are no charges for parking in Council car parks in Latchford, Orford and Culcheth.
“The proposals will certainly be damaging for Stockton Heath and Lymm. Cutting the time for free parking will change the nature of trips to these villages and displace parking elsewhere. Apart from causing anxiety for residents going to the doctor, dentist or solicitor if appointments are running late, the changes will affect local businesses. Visitors will be much less likely to browse in the shops or stop for a leisurely cup of coffee or a meal if they are tight for time.
“We say the Council should look for efficiency savings where it is losing money, not just pick easy targets for extra cash.”
Car parking charges condemned
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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.
12 Comments
In my experience it’s not the parking charges in Culcheth that you have to watch out for but the clampers, especially at night, they are very sneaky!!
Geoff, from 1st October 2012, clamping on private land in England & Wales became illegal.
They are no longer clamping, instead they are issuing parking tickets in the same sneaky way as they were clamping. Shop owners on Lodge drive are up in arms as the tickets are issued by the same clamping company and not council parking wardens….. shoppers are coming out of shops to find the yellow tickets stuck on windscreens. So whilst clamping has stopped the threat is still the same.
Thanks for the tip Indy and update Paul.
I suppose the associated issues is the number of cars competing for parking spaces on our roads. It drives me mad around Warrington when I am trying to take my Visually Impaired Passengers home.
I often think that residents and parents picking up their children from schools conspire to make an assault course!!!!!!
If only residents would use their empty driveways and children share lifts, walk or cycle to school it would help ease the situation.
Well I can just see it now… crowds of children walking home from school in the snow, wind and rain just so Geoff can drive his bus without having to worry about other pesky road users…..Everyone has a reason to be on the roads for one need or another Geoff, and just because your Labour run council are totally anti-motorist (which I think your post confirms quite adequately) and refuse to spend money on expanding the road networks around Warrington – which would no doubt attract more business, shoppers etc – preferring instead to spend it on mayors partys and other frivolous extravagances, won’t stop us tax-paying motorists from using what we have every right to do so….. and if the school runs get in the way, why not get your passengers to change the times THEY travel? My son is at Great Sankey High and they start at 08:20 and finish at 14:30 so not the usual school run times…… Or should we just do as we are told by you political masters?? 🙂
The parking antics of some, not all, parents collecting children from school is constant source of irritation to those who live near schools. Every now and then the Police turn up to try and bring some semblence of order. But it is always short lived because the lack of consideration returns as soon as the coast is clear.
Useful information – Shop and hospital car parks can’t fine you. Different rules apply to council car parks, but if a private company gives you a ticket, it’s not a fine, just an invoice for alleged breach of contract. If you think it’s unfair, write to reject it. They must go to court to enforce it – see moneysavingexpert.com/privateparking
I tear mine up and throw them away – in the nearest bin of course, can’t be doing with litter bugs.
Baz you are way off the mark on this one as I am writing on behalf of the drivers, we have to get our passengers home who are mostly elderly with a variety of health issues and have carers who visit at set times. This is nothing to do with any political statement or comment but a comment on idiotic drivers and their parking habits.
This is my main point Tina at the school where I am a governor we have closed the car park during opening and closing times BUT we actively encourage parents and children to follow the school travel plan. Our children have taken part in cycle and we provide bike sheds. We are fortunate that most of our children live within walking distance and chose to walk. However residents of other schools nearby do who live in closes do complain about parents blocking their drives whilst dropping off and waiting for their children after school. Some parents insist on it being their right and that is when the conflict begins.
Side issue re carparks – I’ve seen in other parts of the country one of the terms for using public carparks being displaying a valid tax disc, if they haven’t they get a ticket – is that the case with Warrington. If not could it be intrroduced – it narks me the number of vehicles you see without a valid disc when i pay mine (and it could well be an indication that they have no valid MOT and/or insurance either)
See pepipoo as well, as my new mate Sha says, these are not tickets, these are not ‘fines’, these are speculative invoices, practically unenforcible (99.99%) in a court of law.
Do not pay (unless you feel you should but £60 for overstaying (in a 50p per hour car park) is a punitive charge under contract law and cannot be enforced).
Type ‘Parking Charge Notice’ into Google to get all the info you need.
Police and Council Tickets are an altogether different beast but can be challenged if issued unfairly.