Tag: Car Parking Charges

Car Parking Charges – Labour Vote to move to next stage

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Wirral Council, Wirral Labour

Sadly this evening at Wirral’s Business and Overview Scrutiny Committee, 9 Labour Councillors rejected my proposal to ask Cabinet to ditch their proposals to introduce parking charges in our Town, and other town centres and Country Parks. I have reproduced my proposal below.

1. Committee notes the numerous petitions of objection, totalling over 15,000 signatures to date.
2. Committee notes the level of public anger and opposition to these proposals.
3. Committee recognises the potential damage the introduction of car parking charges will do to the already struggling town centre shopping areas.
4. Committee also recognises that charging for parking in Country Parks, with an estimated drop in usage of 30% of users will have a detrimental effect on public health.

Therefore committee asks Cabinet to withdraw these proposals in their entirety, and, instead work with our local business and town centres to help regenerate our towns.
While we may have lost the vote this evening, Cabinet will make the final decision so it’s important people do two things to keep the pressure on the Council.

A).Sign our petition: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/…/say-no-to-car-parking-charge…

B) Make representation to the Council. Email Steve Atkins at: steveatkins@wirral.gov.uk and quote ref: SA/PS/2017

We can still stop this happening, so let’s do just that

You can print off a hard copy petition form by clicking HERE

Moreton traders ask the town hall to think again

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Wirral Labour

Starts

Shoppers in Moreton are being urged by the Town’s traders to help them to ditch Town Hall plans for ‘pay and display’.

The Town Hall claims parking charges would bring in £40,000 a year but this figure has now been questioned by one of the local Councillors as ‘fantasy figure scribbled on the back of a fag packet’.

An online petition organised by Pillar Box cards in Moreton (https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/say-no-to-car-parking-charges-in-moreton <https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/say-no-to-car-parking-charges-in-moreton&gt; ) states that car parking charges will have the same result that has been seen in other parts of the Borough, such as Liscard.

Sarah Heeks from Pillar Box Cards said: “Traders in Moreton work really hard to stay in business and we support our local community. This plan could push some of the stores into closing, how would that benefit the Council? Why isn’t the Council supporting us?”

Councillor Bruce Berry said: “Introducing charges in local retail centres, such as Moreton, may not be the cash cow the Town Hall expects. The figures assume that people will keep coming here, regardless of the cost. We know from Liscard, that this is not the case. Parking charges drive business away. When that happens, businesses close and so the Council then lose Business Rates. These are fantasy figures scribbled on the back of a fag packet.”

Ends

MORE parking charges

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Wirral Labour

Wirral Labour, not content with increasing parking charges in existing locations by 50p per hour and introducing charges in New Brighton at Fort Perch Road, Victoria Parade and the promenade, now want to introduce parking charges at nine town centres across the Borough, including these locations in Moreton:
• Hoylake Road
• Oakenholt Road
• Pasture Road
• Chadwick Street
• Barnston Lane
• Upton Road
• Holt Avenue car park
• Garden Lane car park
• Pasture car park

You can read the full list that is to be considered by the Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week HERE 

I am astounded that that Wirral Labour want to introduce parking charges in our struggling shopping areas.  We have all seen the decline of Liscard because of parking charges, we don’t want to see that decline replicated across the borough.

Instead of wasting £247,000 on a monthly newspaper, and up to know over £850,000 on their pet Hoylake Golf Resort scheme, as well as finding £80,000 a year to employ yet another senior officer, they would be better investing in our towns and shopping areas to make them more viable and vibrant.

Here in Moreton we are working with Council Officers and local business to try to regenerate our town, to bring empty shops back into use and give a greater shopping experience.  Introducing car parking charges will destroy our town centre shopping areas by driving custom away to areas where car parking is free.

Say NO to Parking Charges – IMPORTANT UPDATE

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Wirral Labour

So today we reveal that the Labour Council is to publish a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in the Wirral Globe tomorrow which sets out the proposed parking charges for the Country Parks and Fort Perch Rock as well as on road charges in New Brighton.    You can read that TRO by clicking HERE

Now having already started the procurement for Pay and Display Machines, along with this TRO before the matter goes to the Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee  for investigation, how are we to believe that this is not already a done deal.

It is now so important that you sign the petition opposing these charges in order that we can send the strongest message we can to this out of touch, uncaring, callous Labour Council.    Please sign the petition by clicking HERE

Live in New Brighton, Moreton, West Kirby, Heswall, Liscard, Bromborough, Bebington, Upton or Irby? – Will you be paying to park outside your house?

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Wirral Council, Wirral Labour

Last night I attended a Council Business Scrutiny workshop.   One of the items, and perhaps the most emotive was the proposals to increase the Council’s income by increasing car parking charges by 50p per hour at existing Council car parks and to introduce further car parking charges, on street and off street at nine locations across the Borough, as well imposing a £4.00 per day fixed charge at Wirrals Country Parks.

While I am waiting for further detail the hit list for the nine locations for introducing car parking charges is: New Brighton (including Fort Perch Rock), Moreton, West Kirby, Hoylake, Heswall, Liscard, Bromborough, Bebington, Upton and Irby.    The charges are likely to apply to many on street areas in our towns, so a an example in Moreton the two car parks, Holt Avenue and Garden Lane as well as on street charges on Hoylake Road, Upton Road, Pasture Road etc.    In West Kirby, along the promenade, The Crescent, Grange Road, Banks Road and side roads, In Hoylake on Market Street and the side roads etc; and so it goes on in other towns.

The Country Parks include, Wirral Country Park, Royden Park, Arrowe Park, Eastham Country Park etc and at £4.00 per day that is going to disadvantage thousands of people who simply want to visit for an hour or so, perhaps dog walkers etc.

I am aware that New Brighton resident, Darren May had the foresight to see this coming and last week started an online petition opposing the introduction of parking charges in New Brighton.   I would urge people to sign that petition ASAP and it can be accessed by clicking HERE.

I am sure other people will also be setting up petitions and you may want to sign them as well.

One thing is for certain we need to send a very strong message to this Labour-led Council if we are to stop this decimation of our Towns and Parks.

Will car parking charges increase in Wirral and extend to other parks and open spaces?

by Chris Blakeley, posted in Community

So here we go again, Wirral’s Labour-led Council, while scrapping parking charges in Birkenhead are looking at options to increase car parking charges across Wirral, and look again at introducing new car parking charges at Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton, Eastham Country Park, Royden Park, Wirral Country Park and Arrowe Country Park.   Why else would the Cabinet Member sign off the procurement notice for pay and display machines in the wards that these parks and open spaces sit in?    That decision notice can be viewed HERE

Now tried this a couple of years ago and it caused uproar and outrage with people coming together, petitions being signed to tell this Labour lot where to get off, and thankfully that people power resulted in the plans being dropped.

Now we need everyone to come together again to oppose this madness.  I am aware that one New Brighton resident, Darren May has already started the ball rolling with an online petition to oppose charges being implemented at Fort Perch Rock.  You can sign that petition by clicking HERE.

Other friends groups may wish to set up their own petitions whether online or hard copy.     One thing is for certain we need to harness people power and send a message to this Council.