Kington parking regime set out

New charges for car parking in Kington town centre have been set out after months of controversy over the issue.

Three of the town’s car parks, in Love Lane, High Street and Market Hall Street, currently offer free and unrestricted parking, with only the Mill Street car park charging 50p per hour up to a daily maximum of £2.

But a decision yesterday (February 24) by Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet member infrastructure and transport Coun John Harrington confirmed that all will now charge.

The council says that setting such charges “is important to the economic vitality of a town centre”, as it will free up space for short-stay visits by encouraging longer-term parking away from the centre.

Currently, “those that arrive to town first, usually the retail employees, use free parking in the central locations, resulting in later arriving visitors having to find parking further out from the town centre”, the council’s decision says.

Parking charges “also provide a mechanism to incentivise other ways that people can travel” such as cycling and walking, the council maintains. Nor should Kington be uniquely exempted the parking charges applied in other towns, given the £3,000-a-year cost to the council of operating them.

The solution it proposes is to structure the charges with the most central parking having the highest tariff.

From May – the precise date is yet to be specified – all four town centre car parks, including Mill Street, will offer 40 minutes of initial free parking.
After that,

Mill Street will revert to its current tariff, though the cost of season tickets will go up from £60 to £85 per quarter, and from £240 to £315 per year, with a new monthly option costing £35.

Market Hall Street will follow the same regime as Mill Street of 50p per hour up to a £2 daily maximum, and will have the same season ticket options.

The High Street car park will cost 80p per hour up to a daily maximum of £4, with new season ticket charges set at £65 per month, £170 per quarter, and £630 per year.

Cheapest will be Love Lane, where a flat-rate £1 will be payable by phone only. Season tickets here will cost £20 per month, £45 per quarter, and £160 per year.

All parking will remain free on Sundays.

Warning notices will be issued to non-paying vehicles for two weeks after the confirmed effective date of the new charges.

The council says it will spend the projected “surplus income” of £22,000 a year from the charges on public transport, road improvements and other public benefits.

It rejected the option of selling off its car parks – which “would place the supply of car parking for the town centre at risk if these were developed”.

“Discussions will be ongoing regarding the potential for a Community Asset Transfer of the car parks, and other council sites within the town,” the council’s decision said.

“However this can only be considered upon receipt of a formal expression of interest by the town council.”

The move is being made despite what Herefordshire Council acknowledges is the town council’s “strong opposition to the proposal”.

It is also opposed by local ward members, and by Kington Chamber of Trade, which warned: “Residents will seek parking in narrow streets and cause obstructions.”