Parking charges to be introduced in the new year
AT BOROUGH COUNCIL SITES
PARKING charges in council-run car parks will be introduced in the new year.
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council said the move, from Tuesday, January 4, is necessary to help ease its financial difficulties.
Councillor John Boyce, leader of the Liberal Democrat-run borough council, said: “We’ve resisted introducing car parking charges for many years, but unfortunately our financial position has become unsustainable.
“Funding cuts have taken their toll and there is a clear directive from government that councils need to find income sources and become self-reliant.
“We’ve introduced a scheme that is as low cost as possible, giving people a variety of ways to pay when they park.
“This is in addition to a permit scheme which allows regular users to make further savings.”
The scheme has been criticised by borough residents and the area’s Conservative MP, Neil O’Brien.
In his most recent letter to the council, he said: “This is news that has been greeted with dismay and frustration across the borough, not just at the charges being introduced but also by the way in which your authority has conducted this entire process.”
In the wake of feedback after the charges were initially proposed, the council added a permit option for residents.
However, Mr O’Brien criticised the council’s decision to not put the altered proposal to a vote.
He said: “Just as importantly as the actual scheme itself: why has it been decided that such a seismic change for the entire borough will not be put to a final vote before the democratically elected councillors?”
Coun Boyce said in response: “Councillors – including the leader of the Conservative opposition – voted unanimously in favour of our car parking strategy and the introduction of parking charges at our full council meeting in March, acknowledging that it is financially imperative we urgently address the annual losses we are making.
“This unanimously-approved plan set out that we would charge £1 for two hours in town centres or £1 for four hours at our leisure sites.
“These are the charges that are going to be introduced and there’s no reason why councillors would vote on this again.
“Since then, we have consulted with the public to gain insights from people and businesses on how the scheme will affect them.
“As a result of this feedback, we have added an additional permit option which allows regular users to make additional savings if they prefer to pay up front.”
Oadby and Wigston council is the last local authority in Leicestershire to introduce parking charges in its town centres.
It expects the scheme to generate £282,000 a year, which will make the service self-financing when maintenance and enforcement costs are taken into account, a spokesman said. Under the current system, people can park free for up to three hours.
JANUARY 4 SET FOR FIRST FEES