Chesterfield councillor car park fee increases decisions to ‘undermine the town centre’ have causes alot of controversies due to….
A concerned councillor fears Chesterfield Borough Council’s latest decision to increase town centre parking fees by about ten per cent will result in fewer motorists using the facilities and a loss of income along with a drop in footfall.
Labour-led Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet voted in favour of the changes to its town centre car parks during a meeting on January 16, with plans to introduce them from April 1 despite Opposition Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Paul Holmes’ request for the council to consider freezing the prices to prevent a fall in visitors.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, Cllr Amanda Serjeant, told the cabinet meeting the car park plans, which include the introduction of fees for the free Residents Parking Scheme, fitted with the council’s cost recovery model and the council is committed to supporting the town centre.
But the decision to increase town centre car park fees by around ten per cent follows the council’s previous approval of an increase in car parking fees and charges in September which Cllr Holmes says resulted in a 10-11per cent increase from November 1, 2023, which is now to be followed by a ten per cent increase from April 1.
Cllr Holmes said: “The car parks have always covered their costs and made considerable profit whether the high of £1,791,300 in 2009-10 or low of £1,046,333 in 2022-23.
“So ending the residents’ free parking concession and increasing charges by 21per cent in six months cannot be justified by need to cover costs.”
Cllr Holmes argued – that even though car park profits have fallen from 2014-15 when they stood at £1,511,193 right up to 2022-23 when they stood at £1,046,589 – there has still been a good profit every year so he criticised Cllr Serjeant’s argument that prices will have to go up to cover costs.
The Liberal Democrat opposition leader suggested car parking fees should be frozen to preserve town centre footfall and profits because he claims that statistics have revealed that the increase will result in an attritional loss of car park users.
Cllr Holmes said: “The car park study last year says that a 10per cent increase in parking fees generally leads to a one to four per cent attrition rate nationally i.e. income is one to four per cent less than would be expected because car park usage falls due to higher prices.”
He added that cabinet heard that council figures since November, 2023, following an increase in car park fees show a five to six per cent attrition rate in Chesterfield due to falling usage.
Cllr Holmes said: “My key point was to ask how much damage was being done to the viability of Chesterfield town centre by constant hikes in car parking charges which the council report now admits causes some fall in car park usage every time?
“When shop and market stall occupancy are at record lows what effect will a 20per cent increase in parking fees, plus ending residents’ free parking concession, plus cutting advertising, closing the visitors centre etcetera have?
“Absolutely none of this can possibly do anything but further undermine the town centre.”
Cllr Holmes also argued that the council should have seen if freezing or even cutting charges would have increased the town centre’s usage and whether it produced more income to benefit traders.
The car parking report was compiled after a study indicated a need to invest in the council’s car parks and to reuse surplus car parking land to support regeneration while usage, income, and climate change were considered with value for money and support for the town centre.
