On-street parking charge plan shelved after report

CONTROVERSIAL on-street parking charges in Leicestershire’s towns have been ruled out – even though they could have generated up to £1 million a year.

The Conservative administration at Leicestershire County Council had been looking at bringing in the fees as it tries to balance the books and find £50 million of savings over the next four years.

However the plans sparked concerns traders in Hinckley could be adversely affected by the scheme.

Consultants were employed to look at where and how parking fees might be introduced but they have reported the idea has been shelved.

Councillor Blake Pain, Tory cabinet member for transport, said uncertainty facing retailers was the main factor in the proposal being halted.

He said a report on the issue is due to be discussed by the council cabinet on Tuesday, June 12.

He said: “That report will tell you we are not going to bring in parking charges.

“It is not because the idea does not have some merit but we know there is a lot of concern and uncertainty about the retail sector at the moment.

“I would not want to go ahead without a full economic impact assessment. That has not been done and it is not work I am going to bring forward.

“We have listened. We have chopped it.”

Cllr Pain said County Hall would now look at other ways of handling increasing levels of traffic on the major routes into Leicestershire’s larger towns.

He said: “We still have an issue to deal with to make sure our town centres remain viable and that involves managing traffic without the parking charge element.”

Cllr Pain said the consultants’ report would not be made public in its entirety but would be summarised in the upcoming report, which would show the costs of bringing in the scheme – such as installing parking meters and signs, as well as the anticipated potential income of between £800,000 and £1 million a year.

The issue of on-street parking charges has been the subject of a number of heated council chamber debates after the Conservatives wrote a potential £600,000 of income into its budget strategy.

In February, Tory council leader Nick Rushton described on-street parking charges as “a damn good policy”.

Cllr Pain admitted he and his colleagues “probably haven’t articulated it well” because it was just an idea rather than a firm plan.

Opposition Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors warned new charges would kill off town centres.

Simon Galton, Lib Dem group leader at County Hall, said: “A lot of small businesses and people involved in retail will be very relieved.

“In Hinckley, there was a fear it would push parking into the Victorian terraced streets on the edge of the town centre.”

Conservative county and borough councillor for Burbage, Amanda Wright said: “This week, the Conservative administration listened and responded to our concerns, and ruled out introducing charges for onstreet parking.

“This was despite the need to find over £600k savings in the environment and transport budget, part of the overall strategy to identify a further £50 million savings on top of the £178 million already saved since 2010.

“This is what we get involved in politics for and I’m delighted to have made a real difference to Burbage and the people I represent.”