FREE parking is to end in Lymm and Stockton Heath as Warrington Borough Council moves to deliver “a better experience” for motorists.
The changes are expected to take place in November, after which the free one hour period on all council car parks in the two villages will end.
“Cashless parking” is to be introduced but the ban on returning to a car park within two hours will be removed.
The council says it believes the changes will ‘improve’ the parking experience for shoppers in Lymm and Stockton Heath and give them more time to shop at stores.
But opponents of the changes believe the real aim is to cut losses on running the car parks.
They want to know if similar changes will be introduced on other car parks across the borough – many of which are free.
Customers will still have the opportunity to use the “pay and display” options as ticket machines will still be available on all car parks.
If drivers choose to use “cashless parking” they will be required to set up an account and have parking fees automatically debited from their bank.
They will receive text messages telling them how much they have been charged, as well as reminders when their tariff is due to expire.
Cllr Hans Mundry, the council’s lead member for highways, transportation and public realm, said: “These plans will help make parking services in Lymm and Stockton Heath more responsive to the needs of motorists, giving them increased flexibility and choice.
“It’s part of our plans to deliver better parking experiences in every part of Warrington, making life easier for thousands of residents, shoppers and visitors, as well as parents on the school run.”
The new prices at the car parks will be £1 for up to three hours and £2 for more than three, while parking will be free after 3pm.
But Pepper Street car park at Lymm will charge £1 for up to two hours, £2 for two to four hours, £10 for more than four hours and will also provide free parking after 3pm.
The council is confident the free after 3pm offer will enable parents to park and safely drop off and pick up children from nearby schools and provide free parking for residents during late afternoon and throughout the evening, which it feels may help relieve some of the congestion caused by on-street parking.
For further information on parking prices visit warrington.gov.uk/carparks
Free parking to end for villages
1212 Comments
12 Comments
Surely it is axiomatic a “better (parking) experience” is one involving less or no cost,and not one incurring cost where previously free parking free, whether or not cashless charges applied?
We have an extremely over developed town due to bad planning and management. The village trade in Stockton Heath will take another blow and soon we will see more fast foods shops accompanied by cars parking outside them on double yellows make even more congestion. You only need to visit the village after 5pm to see how it turns into a car park for customers of these establishments. The Council could not even sort one junction at Bridge Foot so any revisions to the already fragile situation in the village for traders will be exacerbated.
The town and many out lying areas is littered daily with a litany of consequences of ill considered “planning” decisions. The impact of which detrimentally affects the immediate area of each planning botch up to the extent you bound to wonder if any purposeful thought, was/is ever exercised when formal approval was/is given. In most instances the benefits to the developers always seem to outweigh those of the local communities. This surely is not right?
Cashless parking eh. so set up an account and pay as you use it. Does that means anpr cameras then? Otherwise how will they know who is parking there to charge them and what if the cameras get it wrong will you be charged for not parking there or not charged at all?
Still one option for the shops is to close until 3pm then open through the night when parking is free. Could get more business that way as people who work would be able to shop there without having to pay the extra cost of parking.
Some thoughts, WBC imposes charges because it can, and expects that folk will pay up…which they undoubtedly will. Guess there might be an element of politics involved as neither area has Labour Borough Councillors. The term free is an interesting one, as although people might like parking free at the point of use…as indeed I do….although I am hoping to walk down to Stockton Heath later on if it stops raining……., the reality is that is does cost money to run a car park…bit like saying we have a free health service…that just happens to cost about £120 billion a year. Why don’t the local Parish Councils take over ownership of these car parks, ostensibly as organisations acting in the best interests of local people, they can then decide what, if any, direct charges should be made, or if free at the point of use parking, should be funded via the precept that they levy on local council taxpayers.
These car parks already make a surplus and the flawed thinking at the council is that they should be milked further to subsidise the loss making car parks for council staff and those in other wards. Basically, the council won’t be happy until they’ve driven all of the businesses out of existence and possibly migrated Bridge Street to Stockton Heath which will soon be full of bars and takeaways. Then they can set up a task force which will look at everything except their own role in royally screwing the place up.
PS I await, hardly able to contain myself with great excitement and expectation, to see what the “better experience” for motorists will be.
You should know Paul having skirted with or near the seat of local power. It’s all down to that over worked word “choice”, which ultimately means take it or leave it.
Although, as has already been said, many people will pay up, I believe there will be a significant number who will not. They will find some way of avoiding the charges, either by shopping elsewhere or by parking in some side street to the great inconvenience of residents.
Apparently there was a big increase in the use of the Stockton Heath car park when M&S opened – but only for the first hour which is currently “free”. It will be interesting to see if these people will still shop at M&S if they have to pay.
I fear the new charges could be disastrous for shops already struggling at Lymm. It is not a place where many people do a “big shop” – more a place where you pick up something you have forgotten to get elsewhere. Paying to park will make a pint of milk quite expensive so you will either go elsewhere or park in the road outside the shop, nip in to make your purchase and hope that the parking Gestapo don’t show up.
If they are loss making then they are subsidised by all borough tax payers rather than the users, including people who have no free parking available already.
I’m with it as long as the charges are low and also exclude evenings after 6pm and Sundays. We also need better management of the double yellow line parking.
These car parks already make a profit. It’s other council car parks that make a loss, especially those for staff and in Labour wards They’re asking the users of these car parks to subsidise other people for political reasons basically. .
I have no objection to paying to park if by doing so I gain some measure of security. Remember the good old days when there was a man to take your money and keep an eye on your car? Now the parking attendants are there not to protect your car but to slap a ticket on it if you are just a couple of minutes late getting back.
RIP Lymm and Stockton Heath shops.