Councillors finally set to pay for parking – and their car park could get resurfaced too

UPDATE: Council Leader Mark Pritchard, and the Lead Member for Finance, has been in touch this morning to ‘categorically’ state the councillor’s car park will not be getting a resurfacing, but some work will take place, however the main areas of work will be on the public Library carpark entrance.

“Just to confirm the entrance by Bodhyfryd will be done as that needs doing, but the members car park will not be resurfaced. There will be some re-marking of white lines and a little bit of work, but no resurfacing. The roadway to the back of Llywn Isaf needs a little bit of work and could be done.”

Reflecting some reaction to this story this morning, Cllr Pritchard was keen to note there are more pressing tarmacing issues to fix potholes around the county borough before the members car park is done.

When we originally queried Wrexham Council last month we asked to ‘fact check’ if the members car park was subject to any plans, quotations, request to price up or similar the resurfacing of the carpark, with Cllr Bithell’s reply in full below.

Original story…

Wrexham Councillors are set to finally have their free parking perk abolished next month, however the car park could see ‘potential improvements’.

Next month sees the first birthday of revocation of free parking for disabled blue badge holders in council-owned car parks, a decision taken along with charging visitors parking in local country parks to help raise revenue for the cash strapped council.

The ‘difficult decision’ over country parks and disabled parkers was swiftly implemented, however nearly a year later councillors themselves still get a free car parking perk.

We enquired with Wrexham Council on the progress of ending the freebie that we were previously told would start ‘in April’. Chief Executive Ian Bancroft told us: “We can confirm that the new parking arrangements – which have undergone consultation with staff and members – will come into place on May 1st”.

“The new arrangements will see those members and staff who have elected to use a permit have to pay for parking on a monthly basis.”

The introduction of staff/member parking fees was listed as generating a possible £49,000 a year in a document before a Scrutiny committee in October, sadly no councillors on the committee questioned the figures.

Previously we have noted that data indicates that approximately 495 employees, including senior officers and Members, are issued with car parking permits for the town centre for the purpose of carrying out Council business.

The new permits are due to cost £144 a year, and we are told some councillors have already applied for theirs.

If the public looked to apply for a Waterworld Car Park Season Ticket that is valid for six months they will be charged £300, with no option for a full £600 yearly sum. This is roughly £1.65 a day based off the year price. For those wanting a cheaper option, but further to walk from the Guildhall area, a six month season ticket for Crescent Road is £200, again no option for a £400 yearly option. This is roughly £1.10 a day, based off the year price.

Councillors are due to pay around 39p a day, a sum we have previously been told is aimed at ‘not being too much of a financial burden’.

In many meetings we sit in councillors speak of equality and fairness in how they operate, and the car park is open to members of the public on Saturdays and Sunday but for some reason costs more for less; £1 for an hour, or £1.80 for 1-3 hours.

When we wrote about the issue in December we noted that the councillor’s car park had managed to have several potholes patched (picture here). Last month we were told a man, with obligatory clipboard, was seen in the councillors carpark and when asked what he was up to he related that he was part of an exercise relating to the possible resurfacing of it, and in effect gathering information to potentially give a quote for the work.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, told us: “In respect of potential improvements to the car park, we are examining adding additional loading bays and carrying out condition assessments.

“This inspection work is routinely undertaken across the highway network, car parks, footways, etc. and is carried out in preparation for our works programme for the new financial year.”

Top pic: The unimproved carpark.