Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘Madness’ to close park and ride as more than 90% object
A divisive plan to mothball a park and ride site is still set to go ahead despite more than 90% of residents rejecting the idea.
Canterbury City Council wants to shut the Sturry Road facility for two years, in a bid to save £360,000 amid a drastic fall in passenger numbers since the outbreak of Covid.
Tory leader Ben Fitter-harding remains steadfast in his belief that keeping it running would “let residents down” – even after nine in 10 of those quizzed about the proposals objected to them.
This has prompted critics of the money-saving scheme to accuse the authority of dismissing the views of locals.
Lib Dem chief Michael Dixey said: “It’s absolutely true to form for this administration to completely ignore a public consultation.
“They’ve gone through the motions and then just dismissed it. That’s just appalling – it discredits the council completely.
“Of course it’s underused – we’ve just had Covid. It’s breathtakingly stupid.”
Almost 400 people took part in a council-run consultation on the future of the Park and Ride – which is one of three in the district – earlier this year.
Three hundred and fifty-five of them protested against the measure, with some vowing to shop at Westwood Cross in Broadstairs instead of Whitefriars if the suspension is given the green light.
One claimed it would result in those travelling from Sturry, Herne Bay or Thanet being treated unfairly, as the remaining Park and Ride sites are on the other side of the city.
Meanwhile, another told officials: “What a disaster; you have spent previous years encouraging people to use it.
“Car parks in Canterbury are prohibitively expensive. Shoppers go to Westwood Cross, Faversham, Ashford instead.
“Don’t insult our intelligence by pretending to consult – you have already made the decision to close this.”
Speaking to the Gazette shortly after the plan was first mooted, student nurse Danielle Bettigieg-horrigan, 34, said: “If we haven’t got this, it’s going to be more of a nightmare for people to find places to leave their cars. It’s used a lot. I go there three days a week to travel to Canterbury Christ Church University from Margate.
“This is so convenient because it’s quicker to get into the city and I’m not looking at my clock thinking a meeting with my tutor will cost me extra money.”
Council papers state more than £44,000 of public cash is spent subsidising the Sturry Road service each month.
The authority estimates this figure would instead stand at just under £30,000 if it mothballs the site.
The documents also reveal it is “by far the least well-used” of the three Park and Rides, having received an average of fewer than 100 visitors a day over the last year.
This comes after hourly parking prices at sites in Watling Street and Queningate were hiked to £3.20 last month.
Charges in Pound Lane, Northgate, Longport, Riverside and Whitefriars multi-storey also rose by 20p – while rates at other less-used locations, like Station Road West, were frozen.
Meanwhile, three city car parks, including the ones in Rosemary Lane and St John’s Lane, are primed to be replaced by housing after being put on the market by the council.
Cllr Dixey continued: “Closing the Sturry Road Park and Ride is a crazy thing to do because they’re also closing city centre car parks.
“The idea is to get people to use park and ride. It’s absolute madness.
“It will discourage people from coming into the area to shop – retail is a huge part of the city’s economy – and there’s so much building taking place. Where are people going to park?”
Figures show the number of motorists using the Park and Ride has halved since the start of the pandemic.
Council leaders believe it needs access to a dedicated bus lane – which they insist is still one of their main priorities.
They also expect the delivery of the Sturry relief road - which will join the A28 opposite the site - and new housing in Herne Bay and Thanet to “make it financially viable in the future”.
But Cllr Dixey suspects the mothballing will act as a precursor to the council eventually selling off the car park - a claim described as “outrageous” by the council’s leader.
Cllr Fitter-harding stresses the site has a future, but currently its “usage is incredibly low; certainly lower than the consultation responses suggest”.
The Conservative added: “I’m really heartened by the support for it, and I hope that this, combined with the delivery of the Sturry Relief Road, will make it successful in the future.
“That doesn’t reflect the reality right now, though.
“We have a duty to spend our taxpayers’ money wisely and such a large subsidy to support so few people, when plenty of other parking options exist, is letting our residents down.
“The small number of people affected will be able to use other park and ride sites at the same price, or spaces in the city centre, where we’ve frozen the price of over 1,000 spaces for two more years.”
Councillors were due to discuss the plan at last night’s regeneration committee meeting, where they were set to decide whether to send it through for a final vote.
If it is given the go-ahead, a review will not be undertaken until 18 months after the service has been suspended.
What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup. co.uk
‘Closing the Sturry Road Park and Ride is a crazy thing to do because they’re already closing city centre car parks. It’s absolute madness...’