Another petition to oppose parking charges
ANOTHER petition protesting against the introduction of parking charges by Cheshire East Council has been launched - this time from within its own administration.
Independent councillor Rob Moreton set up the online campaign on change.org, saying the proposals will hurt town centres and residents with no off-road parking.
The council want to introduce fees in car parks in previously free places such as Prestbury, Bollington and Disley.
And to increase fees for towns, such as Macclesfield, where payment is already required.
It is expected these measures will be implemented by October 2024.
Petitions in Prestbury and Disley against these moves have already been set up with around 650 and 800 signatures respectively.
Coun Moreton’s had 578 as of Wednesday, March 20.
In it he says: “I believe that small towns like Congleton,
Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Alsager, Middlewich and other towns across the borough need to have their night time and Sunday economy protected.
“Another victim of these extended car parking charges will be residents across Cheshire East who live on terraced streets that will have nowhere to park, as they have used these car parks overnight and Sundays for many years.
“This will be another burden to the most vulnerable in this cost of living crisis.” The Congleton councillor recently spoke out against the Labour/ Independent-run council’s new parking strategy.
Cheshire East need to make savings and generate extra income to close a large budget deficit.
The council says parking fees have only increased once since 2009 but this is no longer sustainable because of inflation.
There is also the argument that changes will make charges fairer - and there has long been a feeling in Macclesfield that charges here subsidise free parking elsewhere in the borough.
Despite the extra income raised from the new charges, the highways department still faces a budget shortfall of £800,000, which the council hopes to plug by implementing Sunday and evening tariffs as well as introducing cashless machines across the borough.
A public consultation on these additional proposals will take place later this year.