Return of parking charges slammed
THE reintroduction of parking charges has been criticised by a Macclesfield councillor.
Rob Vernon, Labour member for Broken
Cross and Upton, says the decision was made by East Cheshire Council’s cabinet without consulting other councillors.
Charges had been suspended in March but were brought back in on June 15, just as retailers in Macclesfield town centre were reopening.
Coun Vernon says this move will hurt the ‘rebirth of retail’. And that it will be particularly felt in Macclesfield with it having some of the highest parking rates in the borough and being less affluent than other, cheaper to visit town centres.
Coun Vernon said: “There has been quite a backlash against this and I don’t think it was a very good idea.
“It has been made because it costs a lot of money to put parking charges on hold but it is the wrong decision at the wrong time. The decision was made by (the Labour/Independent) cabinet but other than cabinet members none of us knew it was going to happen, which is not a good way to conduct decision making.”
The council had suspended charges to support key workers but the reintroduction was one of a number of measures brought in for the reopening of High Streets.
It says money received from machines will be used to ensure car parks are safe and wellmaintained.
And that charges encourage a ‘good turnaround of spaces for shoppers to support economic recovery of our town centres’.