Parking Refund Scheme To Rely On Private Sector Support

A scheme to refund the cost of town centre parking will turn to the private sector for support after Council Leader Neil Rogers dismissed the prospect of Council backing.

In December’s meeting, Phillip Clare, of Tudor House Investment Services put forward the idea of town centre businesses refunding (or part refunding) the cost of parking at neighbouring car parks. Members of the Town Centre Forum requested further research into the idea, which Mr. Clare agreed to provide.  You can read our report from December here.

The idea was first raised as a response to the rise in car parking charges that are due to begin this year. At the town centre forum earlier today, Mr. Clare presented findings from a straw poll he had conducted with retailers in and around the town centre.

Mr Clare said: “It was apparent that businesses are really struggling. But everyone I spoke to was positive about the prospect of the scheme, and I have received follow up emails asking about it’s progress to date.”

Chairman of the Town Centre Forum and Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley enquired about the practicalities of the proposed scheme, asking what would need to happen or change to enable it. Mr. Clare pointed out the current machines would need to be altered so that an extra ticket would be attached to the current one, and subsequently handed to the retailer at the point of sale. On stating the scheme would have no cost to Wrexham Council, Mr. Clare was corrected by Council Officer Jo Rodgers, who quoted a potential figure of around £13,000 for the additional ticket and related adjustments to the current parking machines.

Other ideas were suggested as a way to avoid the additional cost, including handing the ‘sticky’ part of the ticket to the retailer. However Cllr Rogers pointed out the scale of the cuts the council face over the next three years.

Cllr Rogers said: “This year we have to save in the region of £13m, that figure will go up next year and more the year after. That is the scale of what we are dealing with. If we want to spend £13,000 on this scheme the money would have to come from somewhere else, such as adult social care or child welfare.”

Though one member of the forum stated the council should look to enable and not dismiss such schemes, the group agreed to focus on garnering private sector support. Privately owned and run car parks represent around 80% of car parking capacity in and around Wrexham town centre.

NCP, who run St. Marks car park (adjacent to Wrexham Museum) and Wrexham General Station car park were to be approached about the proposed scheme in addition to Vinci, who run the 970-space Eagles Meadow car park. Results of these discussions and the future of the proposed parking scheme is to be discussed at the next Town Centre Forum, due to take place in early February.

What do you think of the proposed parking scheme? You can take part in the discussion on our forums here…