[dropcap type=”circle”]W[/dropcap]ithin Wirral Council there are proposals to create 100 new pay and display car parking spaces in Heswall.
For the time being they remain proposals and nothing more, although they have been framed against a background of increasing financial pressure bearing down on Wallasey Town Hall.
A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: “Over the next four years, Wirral must find ways to reduce its spending by £132 million – £45 million of which must be found in just the next financial year. This is our biggest ever single year budget deficit. If the council is to keep on providing the services which residents rely on, then we must look at increasing income where we can, to partly offset the huge reductions in the funding we receive from central government.
“One of the areas we will look at is car parking; in particular, modest increases in tariffs at car parks across the borough, and putting in charges at some car parks which are currently free. We will be consulting with residents on these potential new charges.”
In last month’s Medium Term Financial Strategy published by the Council there was brief mention of parking and “an increase in tariffs across the borough, likely to be in the region of 50p per hour. There are also proposals to introduce charges on some currently free car parks and parking areas for which consultation will be undertaken with relevant stakeholders.”
Therefore it seems likely we can expect increased charges at Pay and Display sites like those next to the Puddydale and Heswall Hall, while the creation of approximately 100 new revenue generating spaces on 6 roads remains hypothetical for the time being.
However, for local shopkeepers, business people and residents for whom free and low cost parking is of enormous significance, it is clearly important to be plugged into the Council’s consultation processes.
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