FREE parking will virtually end on public car parks at Lymm and Stockton Heath in the near future if proposals put forward by Warrington Borough Council are approved.
The council says the changes are necessary because of a “budget gap” of £30 million and the need to ensure that vital, frontline services are protected.
The council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) – part of the 2025/26 budget setting process – will propose a number of savings to help address the council’s difficult financial position, including increases to parking charges.
These proposals include the Forge car park in Stockton Heath and the Pepper Street, Davies Way and Henry Street car parks in Lymm.
The proposals for these car parks are:
• Lymm – the removal of the ‘first hour free’ parking, with the introduction of a fee of 70p for parking for up to 1 hour
• Stockton Heath – the removal of ‘free after 3pm’ parking, with standard parking charges being introduced up until 5pm and,
• The introduction of a new evening rate in Stockton Heath, Monday to Saturday, (5pm – 10pm):
– 0-1 hour: Free – No return within 2 hours
– Over 1 hour: £1.40 – All day return permitted
No changes are proposed for the borough council-owned car park at Latchford.
‘First hour free’ and ‘free after 3pm’ car parking have been in place for visitors to Stockton Heath and Lymm for a number of years. However, the council’s current financial position – along with the increased costs of managing, maintaining and operating car parks – means this is no longer sustainable.
Borough Council leader and Cabinet Member for transport, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “We know how important it is to residents, visitors and shoppers who use our car parks that charges remain competitive and affordable. We have kept this in mind throughout our review of our car parking charges.
“While we are proposing to remove free parking periods in Stockton Heath and Lymm – as part of our work to make savings across the board – we are committed to keeping the new charges to the absolute minimum.
“These proposals reflect the difficult choices necessary if we want to achieve the savings we need to protect frontline services. However, even with these changes, parking costs in Stockton Heath and Lymm would remain lower than many of our neighbouring local authorities.”
The council is planning to start the statutory consultation on these proposals in the near future, with a view to the changes to be introduced in the spring.
1 Comment
That’s right WBC hit the affluent sides of the town to pay for your financial disasters