Drastic Price Hikes for Congleton’s Car Parks
Congleton Town Council is concerned about the impact that the increased parking charges will have on the health of Congleton Town Centre. It believes that the new prices will come as a shock to many when they are introduced from the 8th July. The consultation on changes to the car parks was carried out by Cheshire East in Autumn 2023 and received 96% negative comments. A public notice with the new prices and times was published in the Chronicle on June 20th.
Marketing and Communities Manager and Deputy Chief Officer Jackie MacArthur said:
“Congleton Town Council strongly objected to the increase in the parking tariffs proposed by Cheshire East for Congleton, which will see all-day parking rising from £1.60 per day to £4.30 in most long-stay car parks and chargeable hours increase from 9am – 5pm to 8am – 6pm. Anyone parking in Congleton for more than three hours is almost certainly working in town, and this is a massive daily increase for workers many of whom are on close to minimum wage. The Town Council’s arguments to allow parents dropping off pupils at Marlfields school to park on West Street Car park before 9am, or to have the parking meter at Roe Street (Lawton House Surgery) programmed to allow 1 hour free of charge was not accepted.
The Town Council anticipates that the price hike will come into force on Monday 8th July or as soon as Cheshire East reprograms the parking meters after this date. We urge people to continue to support Congleton town Centre’s shops and traders, and suspect that the price increase will result in many workers and visitors seeking places to park on the side roads. We urge people to park responsibly and respectfully ensuring that residents can access properties and the emergency services and utility vehicles such as bin lorries can get to properties.
For anyone interested in investing in parking permits for car parks, we understand that before the 8th July there is still an option to purchase the quarterly or pro-rata annual car parking permit at the current price – quarterly parking permits (3 months) are due to increase from £82 to £195 (£163 for Back Park Street), annual permits will increase from £307 to £620 (£490 for Back Park Street). For more details about Parking Permits see Cheshire East Council’s website.”
Cheshire East Council’s Car Parking Consultation closed on 1 Nov. The information below is for reference:
Cheshire East Council is consulting on proposals to change the car park charges across all the towns in the borough. Local people have until Wednesday 1st November to give Cheshire East feedback on its proposals and how it will affect them. Email your thoughts to carparksreview2023@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Key Proposed changes for Congleton
- A 109% – 169% increase in parking charges – with one-hour parking introduced at 60p, 2-hour parking increased from 60p to £1.60, and 4-hour plus parking costs increased from £1.60 to either £3 for 4-6 hours or £3.40 or £4.30 for more than 6 hours depending on choice of long stay car park.
- Charged timing to be increased from 9am – 5pm to 8am – 6pm.
- Long stay day tickets to be removed from Chapel Street and Princess Street car parks.
- Parking charges proposed for Roe Street car park (Lawton House Surgery).
- All town centre on-street parking reduced to 30 minutes.
- Quarterly and Annual parking permits have more than doubled in price
- A three-tier consolidated car park fees approach has been proposed with all CEC town car parks being allocated one of the tiers. Even the lowest tier is doubling Congleton charges for four hour plus parking.
What Congleton Town Council would like to see
- Cheshire East reconsider its harmonisation approach and instead consider the unique offer of each town. The current three-tier approach is not fit for all and the lowest option is too high for the towns in the south of the borough.
- If the three tier approach remains, as a minimum Congleton should be on the lowest tier.
- For safety and convenience of workers, long-stay day ticket options should continue to be offered on Princess Street and Chapel Street.
- A different approach should be taken for long stay (workers) car parking – possible pre-purchase a book of tickets allowing all-day parking on set car parks for £2 a day – the user adds the date and number plate. (this works for residents in Brighton). Recognise that the pattern of work has changed. Many office workers work a mix of home and office. Many shop workers work 16-hour contracts or part time.
- Parking timing should remain as 9am – 5pm. There is no demand for parking outside of these times. The change will affect parents, particularly at Marlfields School, who use West Street Car Park to operate a park and stride, walking the last stretch to school. If the time can’t be changed to 9am then parents at the school should be offered a free pass until 9am on school days.
- Programme all the parking machines to allow one hour of free parking and 1-2 hours for £1. We believe this will encourage residents to use their town centre as their key service centre in line with Cheshire East’s Town Centre First Policy.
- Make Rope Walk Car Park a resident-only car park – possibly working with a housing association which has flats there.
- Longer term introduce low-cost safe and reliable transport alternatives so that residents are not reliant on their cars to get into town.
Congleton Town Council is seriously concerned that:
- The cost of car parking will drive visitors to aother centres offering free parking
- The cost of car parking will drive workers further out to park on residential streets creating safety issues
- The cost of car parking may impact on the regeneration of our town centre
- The cost of car parking may be a deterrent to health for people who need to regularly visit the doctors surgery.
- That Cheshire East thinks the same approach to parking is suitable for the wide range of towns across Cheshire East.
Congleton Town Council believes
- Increasing parking in line with inflation would be fair. Introducing reasonable charges (similar to those currently charged in Congleton) in towns that have enjoyed free parking along with inflation charges in other towns will see a large boost in revenue to CEC for years to come.
Respond to carparksreview2023@cheshireeast.gov.uk by the 1st November.
You can link to the Cheshire East Council consultation portal by clicking here
