A thought prompted by Stephen Ladyman's apparent conversion to the fact the British motorist will not easily be shoehorned away from the car despite what politicians would like to see, it occurred to me as I perused the increasing cost of car parking, just who owns our local parking spaces Thanet council or us the public.To the casual observer, one would imagine that Tory councilors, guided by narrow minded council officers believe themselves to be the sole custodians of our parking spaces, which effectively they are.
However it seems incredibly shortsighted and stupid, that our Tory councilors have allowed themselves to be led into a situation, which is anti competitive, towards small business local businesses, that have supported the local community, long before anyone thought to plough up Westwood and plant a rather mediocre cheap shopping centre.
Looking at most of our Tory councilors, I for one conclude, that few are capable of original thought, which I believe explains why, on a Sunday morning, I have to pay 80 pence to park in an near empty car park, despite the fact I am in a small way helping to keep town centre shopping alive.
Unlike many I chose to shop in Ramsgate, mainly because I prefer to walk around a real town, but why the hell should I have to pay. One of the main reasons I frequently criticise the Tories and this is a prime example, is because of their laziness in policy making, the ease with which they accept advice from local government employees.
For some reason in Kent conservatives have been genetically modified, and no longer support individuality or enterprise but have become assimilated into the bureaucratic culture of local authorities, so rather than direct policy they now fall into line with the council departments they're meant to manage.
Just to highlight what I mean, two supposedly significant projects in Kent, are Kent TV, and the even more abysmal mutant libraries project " Gateway" as in Margate, surprisingly no Tory politician appears to have claimed either of these as their own idea, and yet like Sea Lions who have just been thrown a kipper they have no hesitation in applauding them. How depressing!
Compare with the parking meters in Calais - you turn up half an hour before the French lunch break, and the meter doesn't charge you for the time between 12 and 2, and the meter gives you a ticket that expires 2.5 hours (the maximum in this case) after you arrived PLUS the lunchtime - after all the shops are shut, it's lunch, why would they want to charge for parking... now that's a civilised way to treat drivers - and as for charging evenings, Sundays and bank holidays... well that's just nasty UK-style treatment of drivers.
ReplyDeletethis one is a bit like the cost of fuel, If the council were to make a loss on car parking they would have to find the money elsewhere, ie the rates. would the residents want higher rates to give motorists 'cheaper' parking?
ReplyDeleteIn France the level of taxes are just about the same as here, they are just taken from different areas. ie not booze and fuel.
At a national level, it costs x amount to run Gb UK plc. you take the money from the public, where you take it from is up to the government. As log as the amount taken adds up to x no problem, if it falls below it you have a debt. Same applies to local government,( except that national government takes all business rates and gives thanet back about 45%
Apparently it costs something like £70 a month to buy a business parking permit in Margate what a scandal especially when you consider you can get an annual residents permit in most London boroughs for under 30 quid although they are going up a bit now they are adding 'green tax' to them.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing when the Turner thing is built where will everyone park for the old town especially now they have taken all the spaces away in harbour Parade? I thought the old town was at the heart of their regeneration plan but once again there seems to be no joined up thinking.
Mutant Libraries project! Ha ha. I like it. Or rather I don't. Not surprised no one wants to own up to it.
ReplyDeleteanon 11:58. Rather cleverly, TDC have bypassed the need for additional parking. They are building something no-one will want to come and see.
ReplyDeleteGenius.
Price of parking is shocking anyway. Most uncivilised now to have to key in your numberplate details into the ticket machine too! Typical council penny pinching.
ReplyDeleteFree parking is still available along Westgate High Street (Station Road) which is why oldies from Birchington shop there - proof positive that charging for parking literally drives customers away, especially those of limited mobility - if you see what I mean.
It's awlays worth leaving a note in your windscreen saying you have goone for change - but it's not foolproof.
Steve the Pleasurama development has caused TDC to give our main leisure car park to the developer for free. The development has 1 parking space for each apartment 1 for each hotel room and 12 spaces for visitors, the conference centre, staff, customers using the shops and restaurants to share, but this won’t matter because building it against environment agency recommendations means it will be uninsurable.
ReplyDeleteOn a resident level living in Broadstairs, with a residents permit I was fined for parking in Chanos Sq outside my doorstep. While the surrounding roads are full the car park is empty. Last year I spoke to Mr Wright in Tdc, his attitude was no residents would not be allowed to park there, and should simply drive round until I found a parking space on the suurouding roads. Green credentials are called into question? His attitude was definietly one of we own the carparks. And tdc do not make it clear in their carparks to unsuspecting paying motorists that on sundays etc that the motorists do not need to pay in their carpark fees and can park free on the road parking etc. On a business level, I own a businees in Margate. Last Saturday, businees was bad, at 3pm our local policeman did comment that the town was quiet and that there were only a few cars parked on the lower level of College Sq carpark. My response was that the carpark is always empty on a saturday as there are no TDC permit holders working on a saturday. Tdc must reduce parking charges on weekends etc. It would raise more revenue and rejuvinate the town centre. At a pound for one hour, people will go to Westwwod it's free! One comment from a visitor from Brighton was she could not believe how high the parking charges were. Tdc need to do something drastically and stop destroying our town centres thro its parking charges! Time Tdc stopped being greedy for revenue and considered the consequences of their actions.
ReplyDeleteIn areas such as the Southwest the councils adopt lower carparking charges out of season, lower in the winter months to encourage people to visit town centres. Is the council making up a short fall in parking revenue from lack of parking revenue raised from visitors in the peak season to Margate by charging locals etc high parking fees all year round. Most councils are now very reliant on parking revenue raised, we have a council that makes little from parking..can it be it's policies. It has alot of empty spaces in the carparks just visit Millhill on a weekend.
ReplyDeletecar owner, living in thanet, uk registered car. Nice and easy to give you a ticket if you park outside of your zone.
ReplyDeleteBelgian/polish/lithuanian lorry driver, articulated lorry? Park it on the Ramsgate eastcliff. For a beachside parking space, stick it on the beach at the western undercliff. You'd be far too difficult to prosecute or fine, and it might scare you off our council owned port.
Double standards? TDC wrote the book.
Our business had it's second worst day since January today, one does note that the adjoining tdc carpark today was empty. Is this a reflection of the parking charges? Local people are not willing to pay these charges when budgets are tight. We have alot of comments from the general public that they will not return due to the high parking charges.If they were reduced the charges, more cars would park and Tdc would recieve more revenue and local business would benefit. One wonders if tdc want the carparks in Margate for thier own employee use, and follow a fabian attitude towards small business.
ReplyDeleteI went to the dentist in Margate last week, we used to live there and as you know we will happily travel miles to stay on an NHS list.
ReplyDeleteBut a massive hike in the charges in the Harbour car park £1.30 per hour, ensures we will not be going to Margate very often.
I have great simpathy for the small retailers. If parking was free or a nominal 30p for a few hours then we could be tempted to wander over there, brouse in the shops, go in the cafes...
But not at £1.30 an hour.
Car parking is always an emotive issue and £1.30 per hour is jolly pricey. Occasionally, I use Castle Street multu storey in Canterbury, which unlike other city council car parks, has adopted a system where you take a tikjet when you arrive and pay on the way out. Minimum spend is something like fifty pence for half an hour and 80p per hour after but you are charged by the minute rather than paying for whole unused periods of time.
ReplyDeleteMuch fairer for all concerned and somewhat cheaper. TDC should introduce something similar to College, Millmead and Ramsgate Leopold Street car parks pretty sharpish.
Nick, Whits
I agree the parking charges are outrageous but have you ever thought it could be to discourage us from parking there? The rendezvous site will be closed for the Turner building work soon, and apparently the master plan is to get people to use College Square and Trinity Square, to reduce traffic in the Old Town. I am a lazy bugger who likes to drive as close to where I'm going as possible but if it makes the town a nicer environment I am prepared to be re-trained to park a few hundred yards away.
ReplyDeleteTdc are plain greedy One wonders if the reduced number of cars parking in their carparks, due to state of margate influenced this ridiculus hike. It's cheaper to park in Brighton where it is worth the car parking fee with alot to do. In the real economic world putting up prices kills a business, unless it has a dam good product to sell. In the case of Tdc it must be a case of dimmishing parking returns, only supported temporarily by increasing them. At the end of the day our towns are the real losers and also Tdc loose out as there less cars parking, and only tdc's permit holders left to pay no charges.
ReplyDelete