If you followed our live coverage of the Isle of Wight Executive meeting last night you’ll have seen how members voted on the issue of changes to parking charges.
All options to increase parking charges or remove free parking (this includes 20 car parks that currently provide some form of free parking, such as Carisbrooke High Street, Seaclose Park, leisure centres and Blackgang Viewpoint) were voted through, except one.
However, the voting wasn’t unanimous.
Warning over removal of free parking
Cllr Phil Jordan, one of the IW councillors for Ryde, stated his concern from the word go.
He warned members that plans to remove free parking from Puckpool Park and Appley Park would force drivers to clog up side roads. He’d seen it all before, he told members, and voted against all motions except the modest increase in parking charges and one allowing consultation with Freshwater Parish council over Moa Place car park.
No change to chargeable hours
The only option on the list of proposed changes in the Parking Order that wasn’t voted through, was the extension of charging between 6-8pm.
Cllr Gilbey told members this item had the biggest input from individual representations across the Island,
“Voluntary organisations, after school clubs, people coming home from work that normally park in car parks after 6pm, affecting every single area of the Island and impacting the local economy.
“It has quite out-stretching consequences.”
Cllr Priest: “Mindful of the evening economy”
Cllr Priest, who made a pre-election promise to promote high streets and not penalise motorists, told members,
“We need to be mindful of the evening economy. This is the area of most concern across the Island
And it reflects the fact that we do listen to Islanders and have listened sensibly to the Island economy and this is one of those areas that we have to do the right thing.”
Not a single member was prepared to propose the motion or second it, so the motion fell.
Cllr Stubbings: “Comparatively insignificant impact on many of the people who have commented”
Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Stubbings told members,
“One point I would bring forward is to remind fellow members of the enormous funding gap that we face over the next three years.
“I feel we need at some point to bite the bullet on some of the things which are going to be very uncomfortable. This has been an extraordinarily contentious issue surprising, I think in some regards, given the fairly insignificant sums of money that it’s likely to generate and I would say, comparatively insignificant impact on many of the people who have commented on it.
“Perhaps that’s unfair on my part, but I do think we need to be mindful of the priorities of this council.”
All other items on the Parking Order were voted through and changes will be implemented ‘as soon as practical’.
See the details in full
The full details of the ‘Parking Places Order’ can be found in the document embedded below (click on the full screen icon to see larger version).
Article edits
Headline changed from “Free parking in 24 car parks goes” to “Free parking in 20 car parks goes”.
Second para text changed from “(this includes 24 car parks that are currently free, such as” to ” (this includes 20 car parks that currently provide some form of free parking, such as”
Image: compujeramey under CC BY 2.0
