Pay and dismay as park rolls out parking fees
RESIDENTS FEAR CARS WILL NOW BLOCK ROADS IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES
NEW parking charges are being brought in at Heaton Park this month and residents fear it will bring blocked roads and a slump in visitor numbers.
The pay and display will operate seven days a week and will replace the old system of paying cash to park staff at the entrance gates.
Previously visitors would pay £1.50 at weekends, on bank holidays and during school holidays. But now it will cost £1 for an hour, £2 for up to three hours and £3 for more than three hours.
The plan was announced last May, with the council proposing to introduce the charges from later last year, but the move was delayed for a review and further consultation following opposition.
Manchester council bosses said the pay and display parking - allowing drivers to pay by mobile phone, cash or card - would ‘improve traffic management in and around the park,’ preventing lengthy queues from building up at peak periods.
But while some agreed, saying they’d be happy to pay - particularly if the money raised is being ploughed back into the park - others said the fees were ‘disgusting’ and should be covered by council tax.
Mum Mel Fernandez is mum to five-year-old Riva and Monty, three, and lives round the corner from the park. Last year, she questioned why the fees were being introduced when the park gets money from big events such as the summer’s Parklife Festival. Now, with the fees set to come into force from Monday, May 21, she fears for the impact it will have on the area.
She said: “It’ll be a nightmare over the summer, people will park in the roads surrounding the park which means the residents won’t be able to park near their houses. And if the roads are busy it’s a nightmare trying to get two small kids into the house when you have to park miles away.
“I think it’s quite expensive also. At £1 for an hour it’s going to cost quite a bit if you’re a regular visitor.”
The charges will be in place between 10am and 5pm.
Coun Luthfur Rahman, of Manchester council, said: “We’re making this change after a thorough review, which included consultation with local residents and community groups.
“Introducing a pay and display scheme will allow us to properly control the way traffic moves around the park.”