10:22am Saturday 27th February 2010
By Oliver Evans
PARKING bosses want to increase charges at Wycombe car parks in a bid to net cash-strapped council chiefs £140,000 – though some fares will fall.
Wycombe District Council has announced plans to increase 55 individual charges, cut two, keep 40 the same and introduce eight new charges at 25 car parks and 42 streets.
It says the charges are ‘reasonable’.
Scroll down for the full charges.
Major changes include rises in multi-storey car park prices, new Sunday charges in some car parks and an increase from 50p to £1 or £2 in most on-street charges.
Charges will also be introduced in the Red Lion Way car park in Woodburn Green. This will be free up to two hours, £3 over two hours and £5.50 over four hours.
Yet parking will be free in the two multi-storeys after 9pm and some long-stay charges will fall.
If agreed by councillors, the proposed changes would go through a six week public consultation. Any changes would come into affect from September 1.
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A council report says the move takes into account the costs of the service and the ‘contribution the service makes to other services’ run by WDC.
The authority took over traffic warden duties in October 2008 yet the service is struggling to break even.
Ruling Conservatives this week said the authority was facing a financial crisis because of low Government cash support. It approved a 1.75 per cent council tax increase.
It says the parking proposals take into account ‘the need to make the district accessible’, charges in other councils, ‘making best use of capacity and supply and demand’ and ‘the need to prioritise on-street parking for short stay’.
It adds there is a need to encourage more short stay parking in High Wycombe town centre and more long-stay parking on its outskirts.
Charges in the Eden and Sainsbury’s car park are also noted.
Proposed changes are below (current charges remain if not included).
CAR PARKS:
Swan and Easton Street multi-storey car parks and Desborough Road surface car park:
Up to two hours - £1.50 increased to £1.80.
Up to three hours £2 increased to £2.50.
Up to four hours £2.50 to £3.
Up to six hours £3.50 to £4.
Sundays - £1 all day to £1.50 (multi-storey only).
6pm to 7am - £1.50 from 6pm to 9pm, free thereafter (multi-storey only).
Desborough Avenue, Baker Street, George Street and Richardson Street, High Wycombe:
Up to 1 hour to remain at £1.00.
Up to 2 hours to increase from £1.50 to £1.70.
Up to 3 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 4 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 5 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 6 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 12 hours reduce to £4.00.
Introduction of a £1 Sunday charge.
Desborough Street:
Up to 1 hour to remain at £1.00.
Up to 2 hours to increase from £1.50 to £1.70.
Over 3 hours to remain at £4.00.
Duke Street, Railway Place, Totteridge Road):
Up to 2 hours to increase from £1.50 to £1.70.
Up to 3 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 4 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 5 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 6 hours to remain at £3.50.
Up to 12 hours to remain at £5.00.
Introduction of a £1 Sunday charge.
Marlow:
Half hour to remain at 40p.
Up to 1 hour to increase from 60p to 70p.
Up to 2 hours to remain at £1.20.
Up to 3 hours to remain at £1.50.
Up to 4 hours to remain at £2.00.
Up to 6 hours to remain at £3.00.
Up to 12 hours to remain at £5.50
Marlow (Pound Lane):
Up to 1 hour introduce a tariff of 70p.
Court Gardens section up to 12 hours reduce from £5.50 to £4.00.
Princes Risborough (Horns Lane):
Half hour to remain at 30p.
Up to 1 hour to remain at 60p.
Up to 3 hours to remain at £1.00 for 3 hours maximum.
Princes Risborough (The Mount):
Up to 1 hour to remain at 30p.
Up to 2 hours to remain at 60p.
Up to 3 hours to remain at 80p.
Up to 4 hours to remain at £1.00.
Up to 8 hours to remain at £2.00.
Up to 12 hours to remain at £3.00.
Bourne End (Wakeman Road):
Introduction of a half-hour tariff of 10p.
Up to 1 hour to remain at 30p.
Up to 2 hours to remain at 50p.
Up to 3 hours to remain at 80p.
Up to 4 hours to remain at £1.00.
Up to 8 hours to remain at £2.00.
Up to 12 hours to remain at £3.00.
Of the 43 charges on 42 streets, six will remain unchanged, six will rise from 50p to £2 an hour and the rest will rise from 50p to £1.
Click the link at the bottom of this story for full on-street parking costs.
Charges were last changed in car parks in January 2008 and on streets in 2006.
The charges were part-devised by the council’s ‘watchdog’ committee, the improvement and review commission.
The Bucks Free Press was asked to leave its meetings under local government laws when the charges were discussed.
The report says: “These proposals would generate an additional daily charge income of £140,000 for a full financial year.”
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