Long stay parkers to be hit by 70% price hike

broadway

Motorists wishing to park their vehicles in Broadway Meadow car park for over six hours will be hit by a 70% increase in fares from next month.

Following a three month consultation, which included implementing an increase of over 100% at the town centre car park, Cheshire East Council has backtracked on plans to designate Broadway Meadow "as a commuter railway station car park" and bring the charges in line with those in the private sector.

The initial recommendations would have seen a 6 to 10 hour stay at Broadway Meadow go up from £3.30 to £7.50.

Additionally the charge for 2 days would have more than doubled from the current fee of £6.60 to £15.00. Three days parking would have increased from £9.90 to £22.50, four days from £13.20 to £30 and 5 days from £16.50 to £37.50.

Meanwhile a three month parking permit was set to go up from £180 to £400 and a twelve month parking permit would cost £1525, up from the current tariff of £655.

However, a total of 296 representations were received during the consultation period, which took place between 28 November and 19 December 2018, and after considering the consultation responses, the proposals have been amended.

However, the new charges at Broadway Meadow, which will still represent a 70% price rise, will be £5.60 for a 6 to 10 hour stay, £11.20 for two days, £16.80 for three days, £22.40 for four days and £28 for five days.

Meanwhile a quarterly parking permit will go up from £180 to £235 and an annual parking permit will cost £895, up from the current tariff of £655.

The Council's proposal to increase all hourly tariffs by 10p and the quarterly and annual season tickets pro-rata on most Cheshire East Council-owned car parks, was approved on Thursday, 7th February.

The new hourly charges will be introduced in Broadway Meadow, The Carrs, South Street, Hoopers, The Rex, Spring Street, and the Leisure Centre car parks in Wilmslow on March 8th.

The approved proposals also include increasing charges for residents parking permits and introducing an administration fee for a change of Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) or replacement of lost residents parking permit or season tickets.

The cost of a residents parking permit will increase from £50 to £60 for the first and £75 for the second. Whilst a charge of £10 will be introduced for a change of Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) or loss of parking permit.

Frank Jordan, executive director of place and acting deputy chief executive, said: "I would like to thank everyone who has made a representation as part of this consultation process. All the views made have been considered and this has led to some changes to the proposals that reflect the views of local communities and service users.

"Decisions like these are difficult and can be deeply emotive and unpopular but it is our responsibility to ensure that there is a good turnaround of spaces for visitors and shoppers and that our car parks are safe, secure and well maintained."

The council says it is aware of the differences in parking fees across the borough and has already started a process to review parking in local towns, like Wilmslow. This approach will be replicated across the borough and forms part of a local transport plan that will be published in spring 2019.

Tags:
Broadway Meadow Car Park, Parking, Parking
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Howard Piltz
Friday 8th February 2019 at 2:56 pm
It is terribly difficult to reconcile the increase in parking charges in Wilmslow with the current consultations regarding on-street parking. The two issues are inter-related and leaves me convinced that Cheshire East Council lacks any coherent plans for our area at all.
Julian Barlow
Friday 8th February 2019 at 3:46 pm
So if you live in Wilmslow, already pay council tax and have no option but to park on the street where you live, Cheshire East will hit you with another bill for £60. However, if you're a commuter you can abandon your car on any number of residential streets without any consequence whatsoever.

Cheshire East are in complete opposition to the people forced to pay for their existence.
Mark Goldsmith
Saturday 9th February 2019 at 3:51 pm
What was the point of ANY consultation with Cheshire East. They never, ever listen.

Our town is choked with on street parking problems, so they make it worse with a massive price hike of our already chock-a-block long-stay car park. Not content with making £1million a year from Wilmslow car parks they want more. And what do we get in return?

Nothing.

Just 18 months of broken promises and delays to even put a yellow line on Alderley Road.

Meanwhile all the car parks in Sandbach in the vacinity of Cheshire East’s offices remain free. I wonder why?

The contempt Cheshire East shows our town is deplorable.
Your Conservative councillor Don Stockton is responsible for CE transport, so is behind all of this.

So tell him what you think on May 2nd because it’s the only time in 4 years he will ever listen to you.
Michelle Bell
Saturday 9th February 2019 at 6:25 pm
They are making it to expensive to park so people will have to park on residential roads. This will leave an empty car park so they can then sell the land to the highest bidder proberly jones and another office block with not enough parking can be built only to add to the parking problem method in the madness
Manuel Golding
Tuesday 12th February 2019 at 3:44 pm
Cheshire East Council's all-day car-parking charges in Sandbach - ZERO.
That's right, NOWT!!!!!!
Obvious that is where the Wlm increase must be transferred to.
Brian Hall
Tuesday 12th February 2019 at 10:10 pm
I know Car Parking again. However, I make this comment to highlight the apathy shown by both the police and CEC. I live on a narrow, L-shaped cul-de-sac designated “Access Only”. This is regularly ignored with both office and Wilmslow Guild parking blatantly flouting the order.

Despite our PCSO putting extra signs on trees and lampposts parking on both sides and onto the pavement regularly occurs. Calls to the police and complaints to CEC are very rarely acted on causing missed delivery from commercial vehicles and missed wheelie bin collections.At the moment our black bins have not been emptied for nearly four (4) weeks. Despite complaints to the council nothing has happened.

All this leads me to believe that whatever parking restrictions are put in place unless appropriate and prompt enforcement takes place it will not solve the problem. The glut of selfish and arrogant office workers has blighted Wilmslow for far too long. Roll on the elections and make sure we oust this bunch of self-centred, time wasting and useless councillors!
Alan Leach
Wednesday 13th February 2019 at 3:10 pm
Three month consultation with who ??? Dare I suggest this is the usual rigged decision from within CEC. Surely, we should be encouraging park & ride and have CEC consulted with GMT on their future travel strategy ???
Roll on May elections, this dysfunctional Council needs to go.
Raymond James Wallace
Wednesday 13th February 2019 at 5:30 pm
What is the use of having a consultation period to try and solve the parking problems in Wilmslow, then right in the middle of the squabbling, the Cheshire East Council go and commit “hari kari”. I don’t intend to take any more crap from a Council that couldn’t run a piss up in a brewery. Your now going to force people off the designated car park, on to main roads that children have to cross, they should be held to account for anyone injured or killed by the lunatic solution to double parking fees.
Carol Shawcross
Wednesday 13th February 2019 at 9:34 pm
I concur
David Smith
Wednesday 13th February 2019 at 10:24 pm
The council elections are coming soon. You Have Been Warned!! So vote out the incumbents that we keep winging about and let some others have a go. If they are just as bad as, or worse than, the present councillors we can admit out mistake and vote them back in next time. So nothing to lose really - just vote for anyone you like that is not a current councillor.