£180k Wiltshire parking overspend predicted
1:00pm Saturday 16th February 2013 in Latest News By Jill Crooks
Wiltshire Council officers are predicting an overspend of £180,000 on car parking services.
This figure is based on occupancy of car parks up to the end of December and modelled to project income until the end of the financial year in March.
The projected overspend has reduced by £58,000 due to higher than expected income in December, which co- incided with the council promoting an hour’s free parking in car parks.
The Cabinet was given an update on the current year’s budget at their Tuesday meeting, and Cllr Jon Hubbard, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wiltshire Council, said this demonstrated that one hour free parking, as advocated by the Lib Dems, would encourage more people to shop locally.
Cllr Hubbard said: “It is evident that Wiltshire Council is discouraging shoppers from frequenting towns by charging exorbitant car parking rates.
“Our proposals to provide one hour’s free parking in our town centres has been proven to encourage more shoppers to shop locally and support our businesses and our local economy.
“Wiltshire Council is losing taxpayers’ money by not providing an hour’s free parking.”
moonrakin wurzel says...
1:48pm Sat 16 Feb 13
Nothing to do with strangling town centre retailers, overcharging for short term parking (and worker day parking) , spending loadsa money on aggressive, unreasonable "civil enforcement officers", dozens of expensive blue LED blinged ticket printers installed on tiny car parks and eyewateringly priced "resident permits"??
Noooooo couldn't be - could it?
Meanwhile those of us living near town centres have to put up with inconsiderate parking bordering on obstruction as shoppers and workers vote with their feet.
High time Wiltshire Council applied the same charges and rules that we have to put up with to their own employee car parks.