Broxtowe parking charges row
COUNCILLORS have claimed plans to introduce car-parking charges in Broxtowe will drive business out of the area.
Broxtowe Borough Council plans to introduce charges at virtually all of its long and short-stay car parks from Monday to Saturday.
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Broxtowe councillor Mel Crow
Conservative councillors who oppose the plan claim it flies in the face of research into the economic benefits of having free car parks in the borough.
Kimberley councillor Mel Crow tabled a motion for the free car parks to be kept at a recent meeting of the council.
Gedling Borough Council introduced car parking charges earlier this year and traders have complained the change has badly damaged their trade.
Coun Crow's motion called for the council to recognise that introducing the charges would be "detrimental to the viability of Beeston, Eastwood, Kimberley and Stapleford".
She said: "If you do not support the motion I think it is very shortsighted, given the recession.
"The survey states the reason for Broxtowe's attractiveness of its town centres is the availability of free car-parking."
Nuthall borough councillor Jill Owen said the charges, which would also apply to council workers in Beeston, were akin to a "workplace parking levy".
Under the proposals, volunteers at the Citizens Advice Bureau, based in the offices, would also have to pay to park.
Coun Owen said: "This council should be doing all it can to encourage those who still have money to spend it in the borough, rather than putting obstacles in the way."
The council's Lib-Dem leader, Coun Michael Rich, tabled an amendment which called for the council to "support the continued availability of free off-street parking throughout the borough, through the provision of a ''first hour free'' scheme of parking and a number of non-charging, short-stay, shoppers' car parks".
The motion also said the measures would "encourage visitors to use local businesses for their shopping by improving turnover of spaces".
Conservative councillors refused to debate the amendment, as they felt it didn't go far enough. Coun Richard Jackson, leader of the borough council's Conservative group, said: "When this goes ahead there will be very little way back from it. This is just a money-making scheme."
The council voted 20 in favour of Coun Rich's amendment, with 16 councillors abstaining from the vote – meaning Coun Crow's motion was repelled.
Broxtowe Borough Council plans to introduce charges at public car parks in Kimberley, Beeston and Eastwood in April to help cover an expected budget shortfall.
bryan.henesey@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
47 Comments
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by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Saturday, December 26 2009, 12:25PM
“First comment since Christmas so I hope all had a good one.
I notice motorists are saying again that we have rubbish public transport and we need to cut congestion.
Yet they kick up a fuss whenever things like WPL come along which is meant to improve public transport; tram extention, new train station ETC.”
by Javid, Beeston
Friday, December 25 2009, 10:18AM
“Let's put some facts into the debate:
Proposed parking charges for Broxtowe:
Up to 1 hr £0
Up to 2 hrs £1
Up to 3hrs £2
Up to 24 hrs £3
There will be at least one free car park in every town for up to 3hrs.
Petrol to get to Meadowhall and back £10+
Parking in Gedling £10 per day to be reduced to £5.
Cost of maintaining car parks in Broxtowe 7% of Council Tax
Cost of maintaining out of town shopping centre car parks - included in the rents and so passed on to the customer.
There is no such thing as free parking.”
by Grenville Green, Nuthall
Friday, December 25 2009, 10:05AM
“gary, from Attenborough
Is spot on, and whilst we are discussing the rip off car parking levy.
I remember when Broxtowe was Tory controlled and good housing stock on Devonshire Avenue was pulled down to build a car park for the officers and councillors to park beside their place of work.
From memory, one of the most vocal in this political party who helped ride rough shod over Beeston residents attempt to stop this car park being built was Philip Owen and he has just been elected to represent Nuthall as a County Councillor. All be it by just 11 votes Ughhh!! and is a long serving member of Nuthall Parish council.
2009 the same councillor and his Tory group who dominate Nuthall Parish council has helped to inflict a whopping 10% parish council tax on Nuthall and is defending an expensive employment tribunal case in January against a clerk who reported theft of public money from Nuthall Parish council to its members and appropriate people in Broxtowe
If the Devonshire Avenue car park had not been built. All the officers and councillors had to do, was park and pay, like everyone else in established car parks in Beeston and walk a few hundred yards to work.
I say place of work and pay to park tongue in cheek.
They never pay WE DO!! in more ways than one.”
by gary, Attenborough
Friday, December 25 2009, 8:35AM
“Bettie
Get a life, why should the motorists get taxed to the hilt,we pay more than any other country to own a car.
With the rubbish public transport system in this country,people who work shifts have to own a car to get to work.
Some people are on very low wages and can barely afford to keep a car on the road.”
by Grenville, Nuthall
Friday, December 25 2009, 1:57AM
“It's Christmas folks. and this encouraged cross party expensive pantomime will run for awhile yet.
There are far to many officers on high wages, index linked pensions and councilors dipping into our back pockets.
We used to have one Borough councilor in Nuthall. Now we have four, as well as a County councilor, and 13 Parish councilors who have access to our money.
Nuthall is just a small area of Broxtowe in the County council set up..”
by Bettie Goodyear, Burton Joyce
Thursday, December 24 2009, 11:59PM
“Let¿s end this socialist nonsense about subsidised parking spaces. We all pay a lot of tax but this does not mean that other people owe us a living. If people can afford to pay for the car then they can afford to pay to park it.”
by gary, Attenborough
Thursday, December 24 2009, 5:59PM
“If you are a one car family and you park in a car park in Beeston and later the same day your partner uses the same car park' you will get a ticket.
The signs are up stating you are only allowed to visit the car park once a day.
The parking attendants hide waiting for the motorists to do the slightest thing wrong and are then handing out tickets.”
by m, gedling
Thursday, December 24 2009, 5:24PM
“arthur in asnwer to your question
"In Gedling, wasn't there a local referendum: either raise Council Tax, or introduce parking ?."
yes there was and like every other referendum it was a loaded win/win answer for the council, now if they had added another part like
"or do you want us to live within our means and get rid of all the non jobs that have been created over the last 10 years ?"
then i reckon the outcome would have been 80% in favour of number 3, other 20% are the people in the non jobs.
you cant introduce home parking levy and tax people to park outside their own homes unless you can blame it on to others.”
by Martin Thetford, Nottingham
Thursday, December 24 2009, 5:20PM
“I would hate to be a homeowner in Beeston or Clifton if the tram extension does not go ahead. Homes in these areas will be blighted for decades.”
by O.S., Southwell
Thursday, December 24 2009, 5:18PM
“How would you like the railways to be re-nationalised By fair means or Byers way.A lot of railway workers lost a lot of their life savings .Most of them Labour voters But then they where workers so why bother”