Have your say on car park proposals
Uttlesford District Council will be asking for feedback on some changes to the management of its car parks and what it will be charging from April 2024.
Following a comprehensive independent review of parking across the district and benchmarking with other areas, the council is proposing to reset the charges and tariffs. It has not made any price increases in its car parks for nearly 10 years.
The proposals include an increase in charges to a level more in line with inflation and some changes in the way the car parks are operated. These are all subject to a period of consultation and feedback from the public.
The changes include:
- Extending the daily charging period in council car parks from 5pm to 6pm
- Removing all 30-minute tariffs in Saffron Walden car parks
- Introducing flat rate tariffs for parking in council car parks on Sundays and Bank Holidays (£1.50 in Saffron Walden, and £1 in Great Dunmow and Stansted Mountfitchet)
- Introducing charges at Catons Lane car park in Saffron Walden as a long-stay car park
- Introducing charges at London Road car park in Saffron Walden at weekends as a long-stay car park
- Removing season tickets at Crafton Green in Stansted Mountfitchet and Chequers Lane in Great Dunmow
- Offering short-stay only parking at Crafton Green (max. 3-hour)
- Introducing hybrid season tickets to accommodate new working patterns
- Including the MiPermit convenience fee (10p) when paying for parking using the mobile app
Cllr Neil Hargreaves, Portfolio Holder for Finance and the Economy, said: "The tariffs have not changed since 2015 whilst the cost of operating the car parks has risen each year due to inflation, increasing the pressure on the council's finances.
"Parking spaces are a finite resource and there is a balance to be struck between costs and keeping good turn-over, and therefore availability of parking spaces, at the best level for both customers and businesses.
"These proposals offer a much-needed overhaul of the car parking arrangements in general to ensure they are continuing to support the vitality of our town and village centres. We want to hear from as many people as possible on what they think about the proposals."
The consultation period will start on 11 January 2024.
21 December 2023