Fears over parking charges force talks
RESIDENTS, traders and shoppers will be able to have their say on plans to introduce parking charges across Congleton borough.
Currently free car parks in Congleton, Sandbach, Alsager, Holmes Chapel and Middlewich are set to become pay-and-display in line with Crewe, Nantwich and Macclesfield.
-
It follows the creation of Cheshire East Council, which is now responsible for services in all three areas.
At a cabinet meeting yesterday, councillors agreed to subject the proposal to a 21-day public consultation.
During the meeting concerns were raised about introducing charges on Alsager's Fairview car park, pictured above.
John Girbow, head at Alsager Highfields Primary School, said: "The entrance to the school has always been via Fairview car park.
"Parents have to park there and walk their children in and out of school for safety reasons.
"We have parents bringing children here from as far as Crewe who have to drive.
"The question we ask is how will parents be accommodated?"
Councillor David Brickhill, portfolio holder for the environment, pictured, said the council may allow free parking for the first half an hour in the Fairview car park.
Proposed charges range from 30 pence for the first hour to 50 pence for one to two hours, £1 for two to four hours and £1.50 for more than four hours.
John Poulson, secretary of Alsager Chamber of Trade, said: "People use Alsager's Fairview car park to get to a number of facilities – the civic centre, the community church and the library. You wouldn't expect people to pay 50p to pop into the library to get a book."
Nantwich councillor Arthur Moran, said: "We are talking about harmonising all three former borough councils, but if we're bringing Congleton in line with Crewe and Nantwich, why aren't we introducing the same charges?
"If people can pay 30 pence to park for the first hour in Congleton why do people in Nantwich have to pay 70 pence?"
Some traders and shoppers believe introducing charges across Congleton borough will kill trade.
George Paget, co-owner of The Flower Gallery, in Little Street, Congleton, said: "People need an incentive to come and shop in Congleton. Free parking is that incentive.
"If people don't come into the town to shop, businesses will be forced to close."
Customer service assistant Kate Milton, aged 26, of Manor Road, Sandbach, said: "If you have to pay 50 pence or £1 every time you want to nip into town you could end up spending nearly £5 a week on parking.
"It's not fair to people who work in the towns because they will have to pay to park every day and it will have an impact on their wages."
Related content:
6 Comments
by Harry, England
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 9:45PM
“Complete selfish tosh - most of you here are more bothered about how it affects you rather than what it does to the towns. Don't you get it - using your car every day causes congestion and pollution. Can I get a free public transport pass because I come to Alsager by train? And free prescriptions for my asthma caused by pollution? Thought not! Get out of your cars once in a while, actually give something back to society and quit wingeing. P.S. Alan - Manchester versus Alsager is hardly a like for like comparison and I doubt there is any free parking in the city centre.”
by Alsager born and bred, Alsager
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 4:01PM
“What about all the office and shop staff working in Alsager,
its going to cost them at least thirty quid a month to park, times are hard enough already for people trying to make an honest living, just another case of rip off councils and MPs robbing us honest hard-working folk to line their own pockets!”
by Graham, Alsager
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 3:38PM
“Macclesfield, Crewe and Hanley have a range of shops that are not present in Alsager, Congleton and Middlewich. If we can park free at Tesco and obtain cash and newspapers there, that is where we will go. Farewell to the three towns.”
by Wise Owl, Shropshire
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 12:49PM
“I think all parking charges should be banned. Why do we tolerate such infringements of our Civil Liberty. Next comes Penalty Charge Notices issued for parking too long or exceeding the 'free' periods. None of this is within the law although our politicians do nothing to stop it as they're all corrupt.
We all pay Council Tax so all council owned 'car parks' should be free and no Council has the right to sell them on to try to avoid its responsibilities.
Have they not read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights including the right to Freedom of Movement and right to 'not be arbitrarily deprived of property'. Yet clampers do it every day with so called 'parking offenders' without any hearing which is another of our rights.
They need to treat human beings with dignity not perversity and tyranny, which is all they ever seem to do.”
by Alan, Staffordshire
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 8:20AM
“Manchester everytime. 35 minutes away and free parking.
Better shopping, better selection, better quality of people. Jobs a good un.”
by goodtime gal, Alsager
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 7:52AM
“Its ridiculous, Alsager will become a ghost town as everyone will rather go to Crewe!, then the council will be complaining then when shops lie empty for years!”