Have your say on proposed Shropshire Council parking changes
A 12-week public consultation on Shropshire Council’s proposed new parking strategy has begun, with people being encouraged to have their say.
The parking strategy determines the way that the council manages and runs its car parks and on-street parking, including how and what it charges for parking.
The current strategy was introduced by the council in 2012 and needs to be replaced.
The council has carried out a detailed, evidence-based, review to inform the new draft strategy, and has put forward a number of proposals that will make parking arrangements – both in car parks on on-street – simpler, clearer and more consistent, as well as helping to reduce congestion and pollution in Shropshire’s market towns.
Any extra money generated from these new proposals would be reinvested in improvements to car parks and to the parking service, including the replacement of the existing payment machines to enable payment by card, contactless payments, and payment by mobile phone – along with improvements to car parks, including resurfacing and the widening of parking bays.
The consultation is broken down into four parts:
1. Proposals regarding ‘linear’ (set price per hour) parking; pricing bands; unrestricted parking; evening parking; loading bays; ‘pop and shop’ parking, and opening hours at Raven Meadows car park in Shrewsbury.
2. A new policy and tariff framework for weekly tickets, season tickets, residents’ off-street permits, and for coach and HGV parking.
3. Proposed changes to Shropshire’s Council’s on-street residents’ parking permit scheme.
4. Proposed changes to the car parking waiver system.
Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “I encourage everyone with an interest in parking to look at our draft proposals and let us know what they think.
“Understandably many people will focus on proposed changes to parking charges. However, the focus is very much on providing an improved parking service that makes use of the latest technology, is consistent across the county, makes it easier for people to understand how much it costs to park, and provides a variety of new ways to pay. The proposals will also help us to reduce congestion and pollution in our market towns.
“Though some charges may go up, in many cases parking will actually be cheaper. For example, if you park for fewer than five hours in Frankwell or Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury you would be paying less, compared to the current charges.
“I therefore urge people to read our proposals so that they understand what is proposed and why, and then let us know what they think.”
People can respond to all four parts or just the ones that are of interest or relevance to them. To take part in the consultation, go to shropshire.gov.uk/parking-consultation.
The consultation runs until 17 October 2017. All responses will then be considered before the final proposals are presented to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet in autumn 2017.
