Council to increase Tŷ Pawb parking charges as they have ‘duty and responsibility’ to maximise income

Tŷ Pawb will see parking charges increase by a ‘modest’ amount, with the new pricing being described as ‘competitive’.

January is unusual as it has two Executive Board meetings, last week seeing a free parking promotion agreed explained as ‘helping local shops and independent shops, and the town’, with a challenge to Eagles Meadow, Island Green and other providers to ‘follow suit’.

It was noted by Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard that “Business rates are controlled from Westminster and Cardiff and we have no control on those, but we can control parking.”

Tŷ Pawb was the one council car park was excluded from that list, despite being controlled by Wrexham Council. However analysis of Tŷ Pawb’s car park usage and occupancy rates has found that it “consistently operates above the desired 85% occupancy levels and as such it is proposed to review tariffs for this facility.”

In the report before the Special Executive Board on Tuesday it is proposed that parking fees are increased with the 1 – 3 hour parking tariff going from £1.80 to £2.00 plus an increase in the all-day charge from £2.50 to £3.00 along with associated adjustments to the monthly parking permit fees.

If approved the new charges will be implemented from April 6th.

The move is no surprise, trailed back in June when it was publicly stated that £3 was seen as an ‘appropriate’ rate, and when such a move was explained to give parity to Waterworld – which now will soon be free after 2pm.

No exact financial benefits are outlined in the new report, however it notes, “Changes in tariffs at Tŷ Pawb car park and associated pilot promotional events are proposed in line with the business plan for management of the facility”. Previously that figure has been stated as £14,000.

Cllr Hugh Jones said, “Tŷ Pawb is a key element of the life of the centre of Wrexham and it’s reinvigorated that part of town. It is also a commercial project and we have to maximise the potential for income.

“As evidenced in the report we have invested in the car park via the provision of electric charging points, new entry and exit equipment and we’ve maintained a very high occupancy rate.

“We believe we’re able to apply these modest increases in parking charges in order to maintain and support the income that allows us to improve the overall access to and from Tŷ Pawb.”

“If we have the opportunity of maximising the income, I think we have a duty and responsibility. And that’s what we did. This is a very modest increase. It’s still competitive with other carparks around town.”

We pointed out that the charges increase come soon after the announcement of a free parking promo elsewhere. Cllr Jones said ‘it is not contradictory but complimentary’ noting that Tŷ Pawb parkers are probably ‘a different profile’ from other council car park users.

Cllr Bithell noted that Tŷ Pawb is ‘unique’ as car parking revenue is ring-fenced ‘to support the business plan and makes Tŷ Pawb self sufficient so to speak’.

Council Leader Mark Pritchard added: “It was built into the business plan that income generated from the car parking receipts would go back into Tŷ Pawb.

“I am more than happy to continue to support that, because we want it to be sustainable.

“We want it to continue to thrive and people to use it. I think it is going in the right direction, and people have to judge it aside from other car parks.

Back in June we wrote “We have previously asked for agendas and minutes from the Board meetings, and although they never turned up, we are assured the centres new website will make them public” with meetings promised that copies would be forwarded over. Sadly that did not happen, so we submitted a Freedom of Information Request.

We asked Cllr Jones if that route for gaining promised information was the openness and transparency he was aiming for.

He said:  “Yes we want to be open and transparent, but those on the Board are not democratically elected they are volunteers.

“It is right those who are elected are held to account for what we do and say, but those who work in voluntary capacity we have to be sensitive to that. They come and advise us, they do not make any decisions.”

In the documents that had already been released it stated in the July 2019 meeting:

We asked Cllr Jones if the price rise was part of this ‘ask’ or if that was something different coming forward in future. “No. The advisory board effectively advise me on issues that I have to take to the executive board.

“In the same way as I am challenging the advisory board to come forward with a future proposal for the management structure, to our relationship with the council, so it’s part of a two way process.

“It’s not directly linked to this report now, but there is an ongoing two way process between the Council and the board.”

Council Chief Executive said Tŷ Pawb ‘was still young’ and noted “we’re constantly being asked things off the advisory board and we’re constantly going back and having that dialogue with the advisory board”.

Mr Bancroft said there was a longer term question over the ‘final management’ of the centre that the council are still ‘open about’ and consideration of the full options will take place in the future. Tŷ Pawb was initially due to be run externally, however began life and is run by Wrexham Council.

Cllr Jones added praised for the centre, “By any measure, Tŷ Pawb is a huge success”.

Cllr Pritchard added: “I think we must never forget where we come from, and what we could have done as a council, we could have sold the car back to a national company, that was on the table at one time, but we resisted that because we wanted to invest in the town centre.”

“I always like to see how people’s opinions change during the time, I can remember the comments on opening was a lot of negativity, but we were creative, we were bold.  I can remember somebody said it was a pie and chips town. I’d like to see their comments on that now.”

We also pointed Cllr Jones to an audit report back in May that mentioned concerns with financial controls at the centre, some specific to parking, and asked if all the issues had been resolved. Cllr Jones said “Yes”.

The report will be considered by executive board members on Tuesday morning. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.