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Council receive £27,693 through on-street parking charges




WEST Berkshire Council have received £27,693 through on-street car parking charges in the four months between July 28 and November 30 last year - almost double the £15,000 it predicted it would make in the whole of the 2014/15 financial year.

When the first phase of the scheme was implemented in 12 streets across the town last July, the council estimated that it would generate around £25,000 - £30,000 per annum going forward.

The council says that the money will be reinvested back into the district’s road network as they are legally required to do.

Last year the High Court ruled that any authority receiving a surplus in parking income should spend it on things such as traffic schemes, pedestrian crossings, school crossings, street playgrounds, speed limits, bollards and traffic wardens.

West Berkshire Council leader Gordon Lundie said: “It has been a success. It has not deterred people from parking in the town and has provided extra income that can now be put back into roads maintenance.

“The £25,000 - £30,000 annual income we predicted was a very conservative estimate because we were not quite sure how it would affect people’s decisions to park in these areas.”

The decision to introduce on-street parking was criticised by many and one petition against the move was signed by 1,719 people.

The second phase of the scheme will be rolled out later this year and will see charges introduced on another five streets in the town - Northbrook Street, Bartholomew Street, Cheap Street, Kings Road West and Broadway.

Following the decision, Wendy Berkeley, the owner of the Empire Cafe in Cheap Street, described it as the “final nail in the coffin” for local businesses.

However, Mr Lundie defended the move, saying: “I don’t think it is wrong to ask for a reasonable amount of money to park in streets that are well maintained.

“All of these areas still have free parking for up to 30 minutes which allows people enough time to do what they need to do.

“People parking for half an hour is not a problem. The problem is commuters who work all day in places like London parking their cars in a free parking space for ten hours and blocking that space for people who want to do their laundry or have a cup of tea somewhere.

“I would love to offer free parking all across Newbury but that is not something we can deliver when we have 600 miles worth of roads to maintain at a cost of £12m.”

Opposition leader Jeff Brooks said: “They (the council) probably think that financially this has been a success, but to me it is a public failure.”

Roads which now utilise pay and display and pay by phone are: – Newtown Road (north of St John’s Road) – West Mills (eastern end) – Pelican Lane (west side) – Catherine Road (east side) – Link Road (west side)

Roads with a pay by phone system only are: – Newtown Road (south of St Johns Road) – Old Bath Road (south side) – Faraday Road – Ampere Road – Fleming Road – Marconi Road – Kelvin Road



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