2,800 sign parking charge protest

MORE than 2,800 people have signed a petition protesting about parking charges in Stockton Heath and Lymm to be handed in at Warrington Town Hall today.
The petition calls for the reinstatement of a two-hour free parking period on council-owned car parks in the two villages.
It has been organised by local Liberal Democrats who claim the charges are being used to subsidise free resident-only parking in other parts of Warrington.
The free parking period is now only one hour – and the Lib Dems say this is causing more on-street parking, damaging local businesses and has caused unacceptable anxiety to users of local medical and professional services. “It is also spoiling the relaxed “village atmosphere’ of a visit to the shops and cafes in Stockton Heath and Lymm.
According to the Lib Dems, the council reduced the free period from two hours to one to raise £200,000 to help cover the loss they make subsidising free resident-only parking in other parts of the town.
This was despite the fact that the Forge car park at Stockton Heath and the Pepper Street car park at Lymm were already generating a surplus.
It is only in Stockton Heath and Lymm that people are charged to use the council’s district car parks.
The borough council’s executive board will be considering its parking strategy on Monday June 17.
One of the principal objectives in the draft document is to “generate income where necessary to enable investment in parking facilities”.
Cllr Brian Axcell (pictured), the Lib Dem transportation spokesman said: “The objective of generating income seems to be pursued energetically in Stockton Heath and Lymm but hardly at all elsewhere.”
He went on: “It really is outrageous that only the car parks in Stockton Heath and Lymm are being used as cash cows to fill the hole in the parking services budget. Local residents, businesses and visitors to Stockton Heath and Lymm have given their overwhelming support to our petition because of this gross unfairness.”
The draft strategy to be presented to the council has been revised to put less emphasis on breaking even on parking and more focus on supporting the economy of the town and district centres.
A report to go to the executive board indicates that the aim of “breaking even” on parking may be more difficult to achieve than originally envisaged.
This is because additional revenue at Stockton Heath and Lymm arising from the reduced free parking time has been less than predicted.
In addition, revenue from the issue of penalty charge notices has unexpectedly fallen.