Concerns remain over parking changes

Changes to car parking charges in Shropshire towns have been branded “ill-thought out” as three more towns prepare to introduce changes.

Councillor Andy Boddington, Shropshire Council member for Ludlow, said the changes in his town have not gone down well despite being introduced in November.

Changes to tariffs will be introduced in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Wem next week, with new set price per hour charges being introduced.

But Cllr Boddington said he has not been impressed with how the charges have been working in Ludlow.

He said: “The hikes in parking charges in the centre of Ludlow have been controversial.

“They were ill-thought through and driven by a desire to make Shropshire Council a champion of ‘linear parking charges’.

“The only potential upside was that the charges were going to draw in income for the council. Council leader Peter Nutting told us in Ludlow he was hoping to raise £2.5 million to help plug the looming gap in the council’s finances.

“Alas, the new regime is going to raise just £400,000 a year across the county. Is that amount worth all the effort? I very much doubt it”

Cllr Boddington said he spent months debating the changes with council chiefs, saying he won some battles, but lost others.

“We councillors have spent a month of Sundays arguing with Shropshire Council over parking charges and parking enforcement over the last couple of years,” he said.

“We won some of the battles but we lost on on-street charges. They have soared to £1.80 an hour in the town centre. We also lost on Castle Street car park, which has been converted to a long-term car park at £1 an hour. But charges will not run up to 8pm as originally proposed.

“The new parking regime is set to be reviewed in May and November. The latter review will be the most important as we will be able to see the impact over a full year.

“The trouble is that by then damage to trade centre trade could be irreversible. High streets are having a tough time everywhere. According to the Chamber of Commerce, Ludlow is no different.

“Parking charging must work for the good of the economy not against it as it does in Shropshire.”

The changes in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Wem will see shoppers receive 15 minutes free parking and no charges between 8pm and 6am.

There will also be Free parking on Sundays and bank/public holidays in all car parks, except in Festival Square, Oswestry and excluding HGV parking charges at Oswald Road, Oswestry.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Our new parking strategy is designed to make parking charges clearer and simpler, and to deliver a wide range of other improvements and benefits to people using our car parks.

“The new parking charges and arrangements agreed last autumn have already been successfully introduced in Shrewsbury and Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock and Church Stretton.

“The new arrangements offer a wide range of benefits to users of our car parks, and a number of improvements on the current arrangements, including a variety of free and cheap parking, and parking charges that are easier to understand – together with a wider range of payment methods.”

Following the roll-out in the three towns next week, Market Drayton, Whitchurch and Prees Heath will follow on February 11.