Colin James Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 Herefordshire Council Parking Review New Charges Agreed. Herefordshire residents, visitors and shoppers will see changes to parking tariffs and to the way they pay for parking after the adoption of the council’s parking review. The changes will take effect on 1 February next year and will see the implementation of contactless payment facilities and changes to charges which balance increases with discounts aimed at supporting the local economy and tackling congestion. Councillor Paul Rone, cabinet member for transport and roads said: “The changes that have been agreed are aimed at maintaining economic prosperity, changing travel behaviours and reducing congestion during the morning commute. We have worked with stakeholders including Town Councils, Halo, Hereford Business Improvement District (HBID) and others to devise a parking offer which takes into account the needs of everyone using the county’s parking facilities. It has been a balancing act ensuring that parking facilities continue to provide value for money as well as encouraging people to think about using sustainable travel modes; we have also looked at ways to implement payment technologies that make our car parks easier to use. It is necessary for some parking charges to increase. The revenue generated from parking charges is essential to enable us to continue to fund vital transport services that the council delivers. This review has listened to the views of business and communities and has sought to deliver a balanced set of changes to meet the parking needs of Hereford City and Market Towns.†In Hereford, charges will increase at many car parks including at Merton Meadow from £3 all day to £5, and at Bath Street, Bus Station, Garrick multi-storey, Greyfriars, Union Walk, Venns Close and Wye Street from £4.70 for over four hours to £6. I recently visited Eastbourne where they have a very busy town centre and promenade. I was pleasantly surprised to see parking meters with simple charges - 2 Hours only 20p - 4 Hours £1.20 - 6 Hours £1.50 - 6-10 Hours £4. I took this photograph of one of the parking meters, which shows all of the very reasonable prices. Herefordshire Council could adopt a small fee for people who just need to go into the city centre for no more than 2 hours. Not everyone needs to park all day!
Clarkester Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 "It is necessary for some parking charges to increase. The revenue generated from parking charges is essential to enable us to continue to fund vital transport services that the council delivers. " Fund what "Vital Transport Services" exactly? Is it that stupid, pointless, Southern Link Road? The Link road through Merton Meadow car park? School Transport? Subsidised bus routes? Improved cycle lanes? Sorting the incompetent traffic management through the city? What are these vital transport services? And... £5 to park in the rock-strewn unmarked chaos that is Merton Meadow car park? You're having a laugh aren't you? 67% increase?! We're doomed... Doomed!
Irena Sulecka Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 It is clear that places like Eastbourne have taken a much more sensible approach to their charges, particularly for people who just want to pop into the town for an hour or so, it is no wonder these places are busy with shoppers and tourists, if anything, you would expect a tourist place to charge more!
ragwert Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 It is clear that places like Eastbourne have taken a much more sensible approach to their charges, particularly for people who just want to pop into the town for an hour or so, it is no wonder these places are busy with shoppers and tourists, if anything, you would expect a tourist place to charge more! Those 20p charges are for street parking. I'm sure that at the moment we have free on street parking in some areas around the City. If you look at Eastbourne Council web site for car park parking you pay £1.40 for the first hr.
Colin James Posted December 8, 2015 Author Report Posted December 8, 2015 Those 20p charges are for street parking. I'm sure that at the moment we have free on street parking in some areas around the City. If you look at Eastbourne Council web site for car park parking you pay £1.40 for the first hr. You have a point, so it will be interesting to see how much HC charge when they install meters.
Slim Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 Don't mind really, as long as the revenue is spent, as it is supposed to be, on the roads. I mean mending them not building them. Unless it's a bridge over the river.
Jango1969 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 Worthwhile then if several of you are coming into town for work and need to park all day to get a taxi together. Providing of course you live close to each other.
Roger Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 The Council made a £2.6 Million surplus on the parking last year which is a 39% increase on 2013/2014. It wouldn't need creative accounting to point to where £2.6 Million might have been spent to fill in potholes or other road related/transport stuff so I think they must feel they are fairly bomb proof in that area. But I think they are prioritising their financial position over Traders' who will suffer from this negative parking message they are sending out ~ and indeed imposing shortly ...
Colin James Posted December 8, 2015 Author Report Posted December 8, 2015 The Council made a £2.6 Million surplus on the parking last year which is a 39% increase on 2013/2014. It wouldn't need creative accounting to point to where £2.6 Million might have been spent to fill in potholes or other road related/transport stuff so I think they must feel they are fairly bomb proof in that area. But I think they are prioritising their financial position over Traders' who will suffer from this negative parking message they are sending out ~ and indeed imposing shortly ... I think car parking charges in Hereford are expensive anyway. It's strange because when I was in Poland earlier this year, there are FREE buses for the local shopping centres, yet here they charge you to park at the shopping centre where they want you to spend your money.
Roger Posted December 8, 2015 Report Posted December 8, 2015 It's strange because when I was in Poland earlier this year, there are FREE buses for the local shopping centres, yet here they charge you to park at the shopping centre where they want you to spend your money. Not surprised by this. Everyone in Poland has moved here! It's the EU ! The UK economy is doing OK so Councils are now trying to kick the arse out of parking while it lasts! I was in the queue at the shop last week and no one was speaking English!
Colin James Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Posted December 9, 2015 Not surprised by this. Everyone in Poland has moved here! It's the EU ! The UK economy is doing OK so Councils are now trying to kick the arse out of parking while it lasts! I was in the queue at the shop last week and no one was speaking English! No Roger, I think I may have not put my point across well enough. In Poland they have ALWAYS laid on buses for FREE taking people to the shopping centres and they have lots of them too! Parking at the shopping centres is also FREE, this is not something new. My GF is Polish and she tells me it has always been like that. As for your comments above, all I can say is that not every EU foreign person in the UK is Polish. I suspect the majority of people in that queue you refer too were possibly a mixture of people from Romania, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Malta, Slovakia, Latvia, Portugal and Polish... I do get a little frustrated hearing people referring to virtually every foreign person as being Polish when a lot of the time they are not.
Clarkester Posted December 9, 2015 Report Posted December 9, 2015 Colin, don't forget Bromyard!! That too is a strange and exotic dialect! Joking! I'm joking!!
Colin James Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Posted December 9, 2015 Colin, don't forget Bromyard!! That too is a strange and exotic dialect! Joking! I'm joking!! Yes Bromyard and Leominster are exempt from this debate ha ha
Roger Posted December 9, 2015 Report Posted December 9, 2015 It was rammed at 5.45PM tonight on Blackfriars Street ..... Cars .... I was in the area. Everyone trying to go shopping as the parking was free ....
Slim Posted December 10, 2015 Report Posted December 10, 2015 Colin, don't forget Bromyard!! That too is a strange and exotic dialect! Joking! I'm joking!! Clarkester, ever been to Bosbury? There are 2 people at my place of work who are born natives. Can't understand them. However, we get frequent deliveries from couriers from Switzerland. Swiss German and Bosburyish? Same thing.
Bilbobobby Posted January 27, 2016 Report Posted January 27, 2016 Has anyone considered asking the council how many employees of all grades are provided with a free parking permit or subsidised parking to park on council managed car parks? I have seen cars parked with council permits across the length and breadth of county & especially in the city centre. Why? What makes them entitled? Is it time that there is a level playing field for all...
megilleland Posted January 27, 2016 Report Posted January 27, 2016 Herefordshire Council Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015/16 – 2016/17 Autumn Statement – December 2014 - Appendix A Local Authority Members’ Travel Expenses - The Government will exempt travel expenses paid to councillors by their local authority from income tax and employee NICs. The exemption will be limited to the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) rates, where it applies to mileage payments. This change will take effect from 6 April 2015. More benefits?
herefordman75 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Posted February 15, 2016 Worthwhile then if several of you are coming into town for work and need to park all day to get a taxi together. Providing of course you live close to each other. Good idea - car sharing - something that should have been promoted more I think. If there are 5 of you then it's £1 each per day to park, take it in turns each week on a rota and the savings add up, as each only uses their car for one week in five, saving fuel and parking charges. And before anyone raises the issue of insurance being invalidated, as long as you do not profit from the usage, then it is all perfectly legal. So that's £5 per person per week to park, plus a small contribution of say £5 each per week towards fuel, and in a modern car, the benefits add up quickly for all.
Cambo Posted February 15, 2016 Report Posted February 15, 2016 Has anyone considered asking the council how many employees of all grades are provided with a free parking permit or subsidised parking to park on council managed car parks? I have seen cars parked with council permits across the length and breadth of county & especially in the city centre. Why? What makes them entitled? Is it time that there is a level playing field for all... That's a very good point I guess it's a perk of the job?…but I suspect it will not last the more local authorities budget gets cut by central government the more they will have to find revenue to bridge the gap of their shortfall so it will be conned out of us minions to help fill the void in their financies with stealth taxes with council workers at the bottom getting fewer perks like free parking?!
Roger Posted February 19, 2016 Report Posted February 19, 2016 Petition launched in response to parking charge rises A PETITION has been set-up urging Herefordshire Council to review its "bonkers" decision to increase car park prices across the county. Robert Williams fears the rises will affect independent businesses and wants to force the local authority into a re-think. HT Petition
Roger Posted March 1, 2016 Report Posted March 1, 2016 Hereford city car parks Park 2 Shop parking offer in March 2016 Purchase a 1 hour ticket between 3pm and 5pm in Hereford's Gaol Street car park, Garrick Multi-Storey car park or West Street car park to cover all of your parking time between 3pm and 6pm on that day. Please note: although the ticket will only show 1 hour of parking time, the enforcement officers will interpret the tickets during the offer period. Herefordshire Council Not sure what signage is on the machines to reflect this convoluted temporary system but having a ticket that says you have one hour when it really means three is over complicating things.
Denise Lloyd Posted March 6, 2016 Report Posted March 6, 2016 Hereford Times â€@HTnewsroom 1 hr1 hour ago "Too early" to assess effects of increase in parking charges, council told: CALLS made for a portion of income... http://bit.ly/21OVdno 10% does not seem to be an unreasonable request but no the money has to go in one big bag - yes right. The roads have now gone back to being as bad as they were a couple of years ago. There are some vicious pot holes around and BB seem to have gone to ground a bit lately.
Roger Posted March 6, 2016 Report Posted March 6, 2016 I think it probably is a tiny bit early to be able to compare February 2016 car parking revenue with February 2015 revenue. Some of the parking is paid for via RingGo and I haven't a clue what the delay would be for the Council to see that revenue appear on their systems. I think you'd need to wait three months to get an idea. Also if Penalty Charge Notices are factored into the revenue figures then there will be a delay in receiving payment from those. I see all the parking money goes into a 'big bag' .... Councillor Rone did not seem overly forthcoming about what it was being spent on.
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