Author Topic: Denbighshire - Proposed parking charges to help towns, not raise cash  (Read 2006 times)

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Proposed parking charges to help towns, not raise cash

Published date: 29 January 2015 Published by: Rebecca Cole

INCREASED parking charges would be used to encourage a quick turnaround in spaces, not to generate income.

That was the point officers were keen to get across at Denbighshire County Council’s communities scrutiny committee meeting today where a series of recommendations designed to allow residents and visitors to make the most of the county’s main towns were discussed.

However Steve Parker, head of highways and environmental services, did say “if the council can raise income from parking it could reduce cuts to services”.

 He told members a survey carried out by officers, and answered by about 3,600 residents and more than 100 businesses, showed the biggest issues were a lack of short stay spaces, inadequate enforcement and a lack of signage for car parks.

Denbigh central councillor Gwyneth Kensler agreed the main purpose of the report was to improve the “economic health and wellbeing of our towns” and the best way to do that was to increase the number of visitors by ensuring enough spaces were available.

But in order to achieve this in Denbigh the parking provision needed to be improved.

“The multi-storey car park in Denbigh is awful,” she said.

“Ladies don’t want to use it, for example, so what can we do to improve that?

“And when it’s freezing or snowing we need to make sure car parks are not like a sheet of ice.”

She also suggested major developments such as turning the former North Wales Hospital into housing could make the battle for spaces worse.

In response Mike Jones, traffic, parking and road safety manager, said the authority would be looking into improving the multi-storey through better fire safety and CCTV and assured members that large housing developments would be taken into consideration in all aspects of the traffic and parking review.

Llangollen councillor Rhys Hughes said he could not vote for most of the proposals for his town, which include changing all on-street parking to one hour, increasing long stay tariffs in Market Street car park and introducing on-street pay and display, and said the most important issue was to increase parking capacity.

“Our shops are being killed off because customers can’t park,” he said.

“It’s not down to offering on-street parking, it’s not enough spaces full stop.”

He suggested the answer could be simple: opening up a field, particularly on hot summer days or during special events, to ensure people do not give up on finding a space and travel elsewhere.

And Llandrillo councillor Cefyn William said better enforcement would “transform” the situation in Corwen where he claimed some people were using short stay spaces for a whole day without reprimand, while there was a long stay car park which was regularly underused.

The proposals will be discussed by the authority’s individual member area groups before any decisions are made and any change to policy such as parking charges will go before the Cabinet.


http://www.newsnorthwales.co.uk/news/143638/proposed-parking-charges-to-help-towns-not-raise-cash.aspx

Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Denbighshire - Proposed parking charges to help towns, not raise cash
« Reply #1 on: 01 February, 2015, 03:59:38 PM »
Proposed parking charges to help towns, not raise cash

There's an old saying that I believe is particularly pertinent here.


DON'T PISS ON MY BOOTS AND TELL ME IT'S RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE ARE WATCHING YOU

 


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