Cost of hundreds of parking spaces could fall, says council

The cost of parking in more than 4,000 car park spaces across the district is set to be frozen.

And the cost of parking in 220 spaces in one Canterbury city centre car park is proposed to fall by a huge 37%.

In a report to Canterbury City Council’s Cabinet asking for permission to consult on the coming year’s parking charges, tariffs at the following car parks are set to stay the same:

• all three Park and Ride sites – New Dover Road, Wincheap and Sturry Road
• at most Band 2 car parks including St Radigunds, Northgate, Longport, Millers Field in Canterbury; Beach Walk, Oyster and Middle Wall in Whitstable; Neptune in Herne Bay; Reculver Towers and Reculver Country Park in Reculver
• Band 3 car parks including Castle Street Multi-Storey, Holmans Meadow, Station Road West Multi-Storey, Toddlers Cove, Victoria Rec Ground in Canterbury; Cow Lane and Maynard Road in Wincheap; Gladstone Road, Shaftesbury Road and Victoria Street,in Whitstable; William Street, Market Street and Memorial Park in Herne Bay
• Band 5 car parks including Ocean View, Swalecliffe Avenue and Bishopstone Lane in Herne Bay, Tankerton Road in Tankerton, Reculver Drive in Reculver, Hampton in Hampton, Faversham Road in Seasalter and the Gorrell Valley Nature Reserve

A space at the Riverside complex will fall from £2.70 an hour to £1.70 with the resident rate or £1.90 without.

And, after concerns were raised about the increase in the cost of parking in School Lane, Herne, which was imposed last year, the report says the cost of an all-day space should fall from £15 per day to £1.60 on weekdays and £3.20 during the weekend and bank holidays.

Motorists could also benefit from:

• the introduction of an annual Park and Ride permit for £50 per month or £600 per year saving motorists money
• the introduction of a Park and Ride corporate account allowing businesses to encourage their staff to park for just £2.50 per day including free parking at the weekend
• applying the resident rate to the daily capped charge in Band 3 car parks controlled by ANPR cameras so it will cost a maximum of £13.50 per day. Non residents will pay £15
• applying the resident rate to the daily capped charge in Band 2 car parks so it will cost a maximum of £18 per day. Non residents will pay a maximum of £20 per day

Cllr Alex Ricketts, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Transport and Rural Champion, said: “Parking charges are never popular but the income they generate helps to pay for vital frontline services like waste collections or providing temporary accommodation for families that find themselves without a roof over their heads.

“Feedback from the public has been instrumental in the formation of this set of proposals and, if Cabinet gives its permission to consult, we’re keen to hear everyone’s views before any final decisions are taken early next year.

“I’d urge people to take a moment to feed into the process. We do listen and adjust charges where we can.

“I hope our proposal for School Lane is evidence of that.

“And it is worth noting, we’re still waiting to hear from the new Chancellor how much money she can find for local government so some of our assumptions may have to change.”

The draft Off Street Parking Places Order (OSPPO), which sets council car park tariffs, also proposes:

• to add 10p an hour to the cost of parking in the council’s Band 1 car parks
• to move North Lane and Castle Row car parks in Canterbury from Band 2 to Band 1
• to increase the cost of off-street parking permits by 3%

Cllr Ricketts said: “Everyone who lives, works and studies in Canterbury knows it is impossible to drive around the city at certain times of the day and how difficult it is to find a space in our most popular car parks.

“We have to cut the queues and change people’s habits. Park and Ride is key.

“These proposals are designed to reduce the demand for city centre car parking spaces and persuade people and businesses to use low-cost and convenient alternatives like the Park and Ride scheme.

“They align with our emerging bus-led transport strategy which is aimed at making alternatives to the car far more attractive to cut congestion, boost air quality and combat climate change.

“We really do want to hear what people think especially if they have alternative ideas.”

The banding of the council’s car parks and the resident rate was introduced last year.

Car parks have been placed in bands with the most popular and convenient in Band 1 and the far less well used in Band 5.

If you’re a resident of Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable or the rural villages and you have a parking permit account, you can sign up for a resident rate permit in certain car parks.

You pay 10% less in all ANPR-camera controlled car parks in bands 2 and 3 and 20% less at all Park and Ride sites.

The Cabinet will decide whether to give permission to consult on the OSPPO at its meeting on Monday 4 November at 7pm in the Guildhall, St Peter’s Place, Canterbury.

If approved, the consultation will run from Monday 11 November 2024 to Monday 6 January 2025.

Published: 25 October 2024