Council pledge on parking cost (From Gazette & Herald)

Council pledge on parking cost

Council bosses have pledged to ''do better'' next year in the face of strong opposition to parking charge rises in Ryedale.

The authority wants to put up the fees by 25 per cent to earn an extra £125,000 to balance the budget shortfall of £337,000.

The Malton and Norton Initiative (MNI) says that at a meeting with Ryedale District Council's chief executive, Harold Mosley, and some senior officers, it received confirmation that the council was committed to taking a fresh look at its car parking strategy next year.

Roddy Bushell, of Fitzwilliam Estates, who attended the meeting, said: "Members of MNI, faced with the reality that it is too late to change the budget decision for this year, expressed the view strongly that not only should the council seek to make future savings so that parking charges are not raised next year, but they should make sufficient savings so that parking charges can be reduced next year."

At the meeting, Mr Mosley confirmed to the MNI that it was his view that this year would be the last time that an increase in parking charges would be used to balance the council budget.

He agreed that work would begin early in the next financial year, after April 2005, to produce efficiency savings in time for the following year's council budget.

Members of the MNI produced research evidence to show that high parking charges adversely affect store performance and the vitality of town centres, and officers agreed to supply council members with this information before debating next year's budget. But in Malton, the reaction from shops and stores was anger at the proposed parking charge increase.

Hoppers' general manager Andrew Duncan described the increase as "absolutely scandalous".

"We're a small market town," he said. "People can go into York and park a mile out, get the bus in for £1.80 and spend the entire day there. This is driving customers away.

''Locals should not even be forced to pay and once again it's a council stab at local business in Malton who are trying to improve the situation. We're extremely disappointed."

Mark Schofield, who owns Will's Bar in the Market Place, said: "There aren't enough car parking spaces in the centre of Malton as it is. If you make what there is more expensive it will drive people away.

''I think if they are going to put them up they should do something to give back to locals - like reducing the price of smart cards."

Ruth Bielby, manager of Linton's pet shop, said: "I think they are quite high enough to start with and they should be looking somewhere else for savings. This will only discourage people. It isn't going to do the town or the businesses any good. We're next to the machine and we get a lot of comments - people saying they only want to stop for five minutes and it's a lot to pay.

''They should be looking to put prices down and provide free areas rather than putting them up."

Brian Maud, chairman of Ryedale District Council, said many people who live in his ward of Rillington and work in the district's market towns had expressed concerns about the proposed increase. They were angry that all-day tickets would go up from £3.60 to £4.50, as a 90p a day increase would really hit them in the pocket.

Mr Bushell added: "MNI will be watching with interest to see that the council delivers on the commitments made to us in the meeting."

The council's budget decisions for 2005-06, including the parking charge increase, will be discussed at a public consultation meeting next Tuesday, February 8, at Ryedale House. The budget will then be referred to the policy and resources committee on February 10, where the public will also have an opportunity to speak, and then be proposed to a meeting of the full council in March when the final proposals will be rubber-stamped.

Denys Townsend, co-owner of Linton's Pet Shop, said: "I would urge anyone to write to their local councillor if they are concerned about this further tax on the motorist. We want local people to come to the market towns. If enough people put their views forward perhaps they will start listening."

Updated: 15:14 Wednesday, February 02, 2005