Traders push Northumberland parking plan

Posted by The Journal on Aug 7, 09 08:57 AM in News

Retaining free car parking in Northumberland's most heavily populated area will mean cash-strapped council bosses missing out on potential extra income of around ÃÂ£4m a year, it is claimed.

Business leaders in Morpeth say the cash is available if charges were introduced for the estimated 3,000 council-owned parking spaces in towns such as Blyth, Ashington, Bedlington, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea (pictured) and Cramlington.

Parking in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Morpeth and District Chamber of Trade made the calculations for the unitary county council as it steps up its campaign to standardise parking fee policy across Northumberland.

At present, drivers have to pay between 50p and ÃÂ£1.10 an hour to park in towns such as Berwick, Seahouses, Wooler, Alnwick, Morpeth and Hexham, while there are no charges in Blyth Valley and Wansbeck.

Morpeth traders are setting up an action group and have launched a website - www.parknorthumberland.org.uk - where people and community groups can register their interest.

Charles Robinson, chairman of the chamber's parking sub-committee, yesterday said the current system was "iniquitous". "Before the introduction of the unitary county council, this was explainable but still unfair. Now, however, there is no excuse.

"We estimate there are almost 3,000 council-owned parking spaces in the towns where no charges are being levied.

"If each of these spaces was charged at 50p an hour, it could produce a maximum potential income to the unitary authority in excess of ÃÂ£4m," he added. The traders favour a system operating in Morpeth, where local council taxpayers can park free from 9am to 11am and from 3pm onwards.

Andrew Tebbutt, the council's executive member for corporate services all comments and representations would be considered as part of its review of car parking policy.

"We will also be doing our own research on how car parking impacts on each particular town," he said. "The issue of a level playing field on charges means we have to take a lot of factors into account.

"There are significant demographic and other differences between places like Morpeth and Blyth, and these can't be ignored when looking at charges.

"In Cramlington, for example, we don't control the majority of car parks.

"We have to consider whether, by imposing charges, we create more problems than we solve."

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