Parking charge increase a blow to Stratford say opposition councillors

A DIVISIVE overhaul of off-street parking is “another nail in the coffin” for Stratford, according to opposition councillors.

Increases to off-street charges were approved at a cabinet meeting of Stratford District Council last week, although plans to introduce fees in rural centres were dropped.

The changes include a general rise in parking charges – originally agreed by the cabinet in 2019 but deferred in 2020 because of the pandemic – and the controversial scrapping of pensioner parking permits.

LibDem Cllr Kate Rolfe told the meeting: “The increase in car parking charges is too soon and too harsh, particularly on any recovery in the town centre.”

She added: “Any increases should happen later in the year and only if we see an upturn in the economy.”

On pensioner permits, she said: “Abolishing this permit is a retrograde step and will have an impact on footfall in town. I don’t understand why this council, having agreed in 2019 to increase the charge to £25, are going back on their word and abolishing it altogether. It’s another nail in the coffin for the vibrancy of our town centre.”

The changes will see an hour’s parking in one of Stratford’s council-run car parks go up from £1 to £1.20 per hour, with similar incremental rises the longer the stay.

The idea of removing permits for the over-65s was mooted in 2019 but the council eventually opted to bring in a £25 charge after the proposal was met with a wave of opposition. However, even the option of increasing the cost further is no longer on the table.

Elsewhere, charges for motorhome and lorry overnight parking at the Stratford Leisure Centre car park will increase from £2 to £20 and fees will be introduced at the Fisherman’s car park.

The ruling Conservative group said the council’s financial situation had driven the proposals, with the authority having to balance services against cutting costs.

Cllr Ian Shenton, portfolio holder for operations, said: “We are faced with a growing deficit and therefore we are faced with a heavy heart of having to make tough decisions on what we can afford and how we can bridge the gap in our finances.”

He questioned whether pensioner permit discounts of 97 per cent were fair on others paying the full charge and added that there seemed little point in proposing a rise to £50 given previous negative reaction.

The package of changes is now out to public consultation before a final decision is made by the full council.