RESIDENTS living near Warrington Hospital are outraged at possible plans to introduce a “parking tax” outside their homes and local church in a bid to ease congestion.
More than 80 people living in the Whitecross area have signed a petition opposing the plans to introduce a £60 a year, per car, Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) in St Barnabas Place, Bostock Street, Cartwright Street, Colin Street and Goulden Street.
They are particularly angry at the proposed £60-a-year fee to park outside their own homes, when residents of nearby Lexden Street enjoy a similar scheme which is FREE.
While some of the streets suffer parking problems caused by people visiting Warrington Hospital, many residents say they are not affected.
Former councillor Bob Timmis, who is married to the local vicar of St Barnabus Church, said: “No proper consideration has been given to this scheme which is basically a parking tax.
“There is plenty of parking space outside the church and under the current proposals we would be expected to pay for a permit for funeral and wedding cars.
“Any parking problems in the area are caused by the hospital – so why should local residents be expected to supplement it.
“It is also a complete nonsense that some residents are expected to pay while a neighbouring street gets a free service.”
Mr Timmis said he was also concerned many people in the area had not read the consultation document and were still unaware of the proposals.
“A lot of people are elderly and don’t read circulars which are pushed through their doors. They also don’t understand that anyone visiting their premises will require a parking permit.”
Another resident Bob Jack said: “The cure is worse than the disease! How much did it cost the council to bring in consultants to come up with an idea like this?”
But local councillor Steve Parish (pictured right) moved to allay residents’ fears.
He said residents in Goulden Street had asked about residents only parking, because it’s near the hospital.
Officers sent out a consultation and extended the survey because of the possibility that people might then park further afield.
Cllr Parish said that he and fellow councillors Jeff Richards and Pat Wright were aware of the concerns about the proposals, and it seemed highly unlikely that there was much support in the wider area beyond Goulden Street.
“If residents don’t want it, it will not happen, and from what we’ve heard it’s a non-starter,” he said.
The consultation has been extended another week to Monday November 14.
David Boyer, in charge of transportation at Warrington Borough Council, said: “Warrington Borough Council’s current policy on Residents Parking Zones (RPZ) which was agreed at the executive board in November 2009 is that there will be no charge levied against any existing RPZ, however, any new RPZ introduced after this date will attract a charge of £60 per vehicle. The introduction of this charge would bring Warrington in line with other authorities who generally charge for RPZ permits and this charge is set at a level to allow the costs of the setting up and operation of RPZ schemes to be covered.
“The council is currently developing an updated parking strategy that will be consulted on in early 2012. This parking strategy examines all aspects of parking within the borough; including existing and proposed RPZ’s and charging mechanisms and this will be consulted on with both members and residents at that time.”
Picture shows Bob Timmis with local residents outside St Barnabus Church which faces a possible “parking tax.”
Parking tax angers residents
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
8 Comments
The hospital should have a proper, multi-storey car park at the back of the site for staff and visitors……. It would cause no problems around there as there are no houses to over-shadow and it would solve the problems of all the parking; staff and visitors
Hi Baz,
(Yesterday) you said this on 08 Nov 2011 5:12:35 PM UTC about “Residents demand talks over travel plan”
“Let me get this straight….. There are new offices being built that will maybe add jobs and add to the local economy with regards to local shops, chippies etc. but residents are complaining??? The easy answer is to make the residential areas permit only surely? That way, the council can send the parking nazis out on their scooters every day and cop a shed load of parking fines for anyone not displaying a permit…… or am I missing something here?”
Well the story above illustrates how expensive (annual fee of £60) it would be for the residents of Longbarn under the existing Car Park Policy Permit Scheme. This is just the administration charge to run such a scheme even if one was offered and has been in place for some time!!! And that is just one of their traffic issues, volume, access and safety being the others that we have discussed on the Forum.
Good for Bob Timmis to now object! He was the Councillor for the Ward at the time he and his Lib/Dem colleagues introduced this iniquitous tax without any consultation whatsoever with residents of the Borough. WBC should listen to its residents and scrap this charge.
Well that’s Warrington Borough Council for you. They will screw you into the ground if it means filling the pockets of those idiots who come up with these stupid ideas. I say we all stop paying our Council Tax if they’re going to make us pay more and more to live in this sorry state of a town!
Availability of parking isn’t the issue here, there is always somewhere to park on the hospital grounds…..it’s the cost and the fact that people feel that they are getting ripped off for parking in an area to be frank, should be free!
three Labour Councilors sitting on their hands just like last night when they Labour agreed to getting shut of 600 staff – shame on you Labour
Geoff… I wasn’t trying to criticise; I was trying to work out what the beef in Longbarn was as it still isn’t being reported very clearly as it all seemed to be about crossings until the “home office” new build was mentioned….
In areas like the hospital and the industrial parks up Longbarn and Birchwood way etc. the costs for the implementation of a permit scheme should not be borne by the residents; just as the costs to stick a thousand new 20mph speed limit signs over half of the town were not charged to the residents.
The two examples are very similar: Some residents do not want parking (Whitecross area) and residents want 20 limits (Sankey, Orford, Town Centre etc). Council pays for one, residents are expected to pay for the other (Not very fair I think….)
A contribution from the Hospital should be sought as it is their inadequate parking provisions that cause the problems just as in Longbarn, funding should be sought from those whose parking is likely to cause an issue…… Surely a good Labour way is to pass the charge from the working man?
Applejunkie, you jest. when do you go to visit and find somewhere to park?
It is time that they built a multi storey car park and sorted the problem once and for all as Baz stated.
The two double deckers might help the staff to park, but that is only a fraction of the employees with cars. AND as has been said, it should be free. We don’t choose to visit because there is nothing on TV. You can’;t even park near A and E!!!!