New car parking tariffs are being considered by Warrington Borough Council which would see the removal of “free parking” periods in Lymm and Stockton Heath.
With a budget gap of about £30m, the authority said it needed to make difficult choices to balance the budget and ensure frontline services were protected.
The plans include increases to parking charges at the Pepper Street, Davies Way and Henry Street car parks in Lymm and Forge car park in Stockton Heath.
What is the council proposing?
- Lymm: the removal of the ‘first hour free’ parking, with the introduction of a 70p fee for parking for up to an hour
- Stockton Heath: the removal of ‘free after 3pm’ parking, with standard parking charges being introduced up until 5pm
- Stockton Heath: the introduction of a new evening rate:
– Up to one hour, free – No return within 2 hours (Monday to Saturday, 5-10pm)
– Over an hour, £1.40 – all day return permitted (Monday to Saturday, 5-10pm)
The council said its current financial position – along with the increased costs of managing, maintaining and operating car parks – meant it was no longer sustainable to continue offering parking free of charge.
However, the proposals have drawn ire from Tatton MP Esther McVey, who represents Lymm.
She has written to council bosses to demand the plans are dropped, and said she was worried about the impact the changes would have on local businesses.
“People want to support their high street and local businesses and enjoy popping to their local shops but must be able to park for free to do so,” she said.
“Lymm is a wonderful village and moves like this will hurt it. We need to protect our village and local community.
“I have been clear in my correspondence to the council I completely oppose this move and want to see any impact assessment that has been done prior to this suggestion being made.
“If no assessment has been done, I want to know why.”
‘Difficult choices’
Council leader Hans Mundry said the proposals reflected the difficult choices necessary to achieve savings to protect frontline services.
“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.”
He added: “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 a consultation on the plans in the near future, with a view to introducing the changes in the spring.
