Parking charges are hot topic in Northumberland

Posted by The Journal on Feb 5, 10 11:48 AM in News

Paying to park in Alnwick Parking fees levied on drivers visiting Northumberland towns has emerged as the hottest topic in the initial stages of a major review aimed at developing a county-wide parking strategy.

A progress report on the review reveals hundreds of people have made their views known on whether parking fees should be imposed across the whole county - rather than just in selected towns.

More than 560 people have signed three separate petitions calling for an equal policy across the board, with charges being made in all principal towns.

But thousands of others have signed petitions calling for parking to remain free in Blyth Valley and Wansbeck because of the damaging effect charges would have on local businesses and the economy.

The results of initial consultations carried out last summer show that a survey resulted in 66% of responses supporting a consistent, county-wide approach to parking. The findings are revealed in a report to next week's meeting of the county council's Liberal Democrat executive, which commissioned the review because of the need to develop a consistent parking strategy for the unitary authority.

One of the issues it is examining is the current two-tier system of charging - which means motorists have to pay between 50p and £1.10 an hour to park in towns like Berwick, Seahouses, Alnwick, Morpeth and Hexham while it remains free in Ashington, Bedlington, Newbiggin, Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Delaval.

Income from the county's 130 car parks in 2008/9 was £2.7m, of which almost £2.3m came from the collection of charges. Last year traders in Morpeth launched a campaign to secure a level playing field on parking fees, claiming the council could boost its income by £4m a year by ending free parking in south-east Northumberland.

Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell has collected a 7,000-name petition calling for the retention of free parking in the south east of Northumberland.

He said yesterday: "I believe the county council will bring in charges across the county, but we have a big petition saying that should not happen. We have never had charges here in Blyth Valley and people are worried about their businesses if it happens." In the report to Monday's executive, director of street scene, Bill Batey, says: "The area of the review which has attracted the most external comment is that of parking charges."

He says a model to consider the approach to charging is close to completion. It will use a range of criteria - including settlement type and viability, car park usage and distance from the town centre - to produce a total "score" for each car park.

Decisions will then be made on whether individual car parks will be free, or charged through a range of different rates.

Mr Batey adds: "This may result in charging being introduced in some car parks that are currently free, some that are currently charged becoming free and no changes in other areas." The work on charges is scheduled to be completed by October, with the new system implemented in April next year.

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