There is a lot of concern about the steep increase in parking charges in Penzance over the summer (1 Apr - Oct). Below are some facts, background information and my own commenbts on the issue.
Key Points:
- Steep
increase in summer rates (to £1.50/hr) for Penzance and 4 other towns.
- Free
parking from 4 pm to 9 am in Penzance CC car parks (many other towns already
had this or similar).
- 'Just
Park' smart phone app will allow cheap
parking in long stay car parks (96 pence/day in Harbour Car Park) but credits
have to be bought in blocks (minimum 47 pounds). Credits don’t time expire.
- Just Park
will eventually cover short stay car parks ( - timescale unknown).
Background.
Cornwall Council took a policy a decision to raise an extra £770,000
pounds from just 5 towns (Pz, St Ives, Newquay, Truro and Falmouth). All the
other towns I understand have had a zero increase although most were already
substantially less expensive than Penzance and already had free evening
parking.
Penzance fought for free evening parking/night time parking - initially 5 pm to 9 a.m. but later 4 p.m to
9 p.m. The original aim was to relieve
parking pressure on residents in the Town Centre and Battlefields in the
evening given that car parks are virtually
empty at night. A secondary rationale
was to grow the late afternoon and evening economy. Most towns in Cornwall already had free
evening parking. Penzance inherited charging in the evening from Penwith DC
days.
Cornwall Council’s season ticket schemes offer good value
but requires a major outlay, are inflexible and are poorly promoted. CC is introducing 'Just Park' (smart phone app)
which will allow parking at season ticket rates but with an outlay of £47 to purchase
‘credits’. The parking credits do not
expire at the end of the year. Just
Park will allow parking for 96 pence/day in the Harbour Car Park. The rate is lower still for St Erbyns. Just Park will suit smart phone users who
park regularly in long stay car parks. Just
Park will eventually cater for short stay car parks.
Comment.
Cornwall Council’s reliance on parking profits to 'balance
the books' comes at the cost of damage to the retail sector in economically
weaker towns like Penzance. The new rates
will have a negative impact on the retail sector in Penzance.
The lesson for the future is to ensure that the ground rules
for any future review of parking charges are properly set. If all CC car parks in Cornwall had had
rates increased by inflation (3% ish) then ~£480,000 pounds of the required £770,000
revenue increase would have been raised with minimal pain. Instead 5 towns have
been ‘hammered’ to raise the entire £770,000.
The ‘public consultation’ over proposed charges came long after the policy
decision to target increases at 5 towns .
Penzance got a better outcome (or less bad outcome) than was
originally on the cards because of the free evening parking 4 – 9 but that does
not mean harm will be avoided. The longstanding
injustice regarding lack of free evening parking has been corrected. The evening economy/hospitality sector will
benefit and residents in the Town Centre will have more parking options.
For those that think CC has other options and is ‘crying
wolf ‘over extreme budgetry pressure then consider Northamptonshire Country
Council – effectively insolvent and under direct control of DCLG. Northamptonshire is unlikely to be the last UK
primary council to go bust given relentless budgetry pressure and expected
future interest rate rises.