THE CABINET member responsible for car parking in the borough says current pricing is “reasonable.”
Cllr Denise Hyland was answering a question from Conservative Deputy Leader Alex Wilson at Wednesday’s full council meeting, who wanted to know if she agreed with a Labour MP’s recent warning on the price of car parking.
He asked: “Does she agree with Labour MP David Crausby, in relation to car parking charges, that if local authorities charge excessively for car parking within high streets and town centres, town centres are going to continue to die?”
Cllr Hyland began her reply by referring to Westminster Council.
“Well, I’m not taking any lessons from Westminster [council] that’s for certain where the Leader had to resign over the fiasco there and the Cabinet Member has now been shifted sideways, Mr Mayor.”
She continued: “There’s always a balance, isn’t there. Everybody wants controls, everybody wants enforcement, nobody particularly wants to pay for it and the only way that we can fund enforcement is actually through levying a reasonable charge and if that’s what you wanted to hear from me about reasonableness, that’s what you will hear from this side of the Chamber around all issues including car parking.”
The council ramped up the price of parking at its Greenwich town centre car parks from £1.30 per hour to £2.50 per hour last year.
Greenwich.co.uk revealed last October that the big price hike was delivering only a modest increase in revenue.
Earlier this year, council officers told councillors that the increases had only netted half the amount anticipated, and admitted they have not conducted any studies into the impact of the increases on local businesses
A further increase to £2.70 per hour is planned for next year.
It’s crazy to charge so much for parking when the local businesses in Greenwich market and surroundings need as many visitors as possible. I guess the council may say that there is so much public transport to Gren that it doesnt matter, but you only have to see Stratford car park, where they have LOADS of transport links, and its always packed. Parking at Stratford is free for 2 hours and then no more than £5 for a 24hour stay. It’s completely free at Bluewater. What seems like a little consideration can actually just tip peoples decisions as to where they go to spend thieir money, and the parking fees at those stupid rates tips it the wrong way for Greenwich I think.
I know that I’m not going to be popular here but in 2012 should we really be pandering to the motorist in Central (ish) London. I appreciate that the elderly and infirm struggle to use public transport and would assume their permits allow them to park on the street.
For the rest of the world. Come to Greenwich (leave your car behind)
Darren
I have certainly stopped parking in Greenwich since last year’s price hike.
There is very little parking space in Greenwich anyway. The most sensible way to travel about is by public transport, and as we are fairly lucky, if we’re honest, that public transport isn’t too bad. There’s a comprehensive bus network, the railway, DLR, and, at North Greenwich, the Tube and the Dangleway (if it’s not windy).
Whoops! I forgot to mention cycling as an alternative!
It’s perfectly honourable to be anti car as long as you accept car owners have plenty of other options so can go elsewhere to spend their money so be prepared for the affect that will have on local businesses.
The public transport option would be nice for us if there was something that went from Charlton Village to Greenwich town centre. There’s only the slow, infrequent 386 from Shooters Hill Rd or a ten minute walk to Charlton Station then another walk at the other end. Cycling can be good but my locked bike was stolen from Maritime Museum bike rack.
Public transport is brilliant unless you need to carry something heavy, like a week’s shopping for instance. Its also a regressive measure as it hurts the poor more than the rich.
@Steve, please…..unless you aren’t particularly mobile there is absolutely no excuse for not taking a 10 minute walk to a bus stop. The bottom of Charlton Church Lane has the 177 and 180 directly to Greenwich town centre and a little walk to The Standard affords you the use of the 286.
Seriously, how close does the bus have to come to your front door for you to use it?
There is plenty of public transport throughout London and I’m afraid that for the able bodied to, if that is the case, to complain about a short walk is just plain lazy.