The loss of a free hour’s parking in some car parks in the Isle of Wight’s county town will be “detrimental” to its businesses, councillors say.
Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council are calling for ‘parking equality’ for Newport as it “bears the brunt” of generating ’70 per cent of the Isle of Wight Council’s parking income’.
It comes as a parking pilot in the town has ended meaning shoppers now no longer get an hour’s free parking.
Speaking at a meeting of the community council earlier this week, Cllr Martin Oliver said it was a great shame the pilot has come to an end as it was well supported and worked in getting people into the town.
Cllr Matt Price questioned the charges motorists paid after the first hour and said “nowhere on the Island does it cost that much to park.”
He raised concerns people could not pay for an extra hour, if they wanted to stay longer, they could only pay for an additional two after the first free one – negating the free hour.
Charges in the Isle of Wight Council’s three car parks on Chapel Street, Lugely Street and Sea Street saw motorists get the first hour free but then pay £4.10 for one to two hours and £6.15 for two to three hours.
It now costs between £1.20 and £6.15 to park in those car parks.
Cllr Price said Newport has been treated badly and there should be some equality between it and other Island towns — such as Ryde where there are free parking spaces along the main roads.
Isle of Wight Council officers have acknowledged the inequality, according to the community council, and a solution was hopefully being looked at in the larger authority’s budget-setting process.
However, the solution to that, Cllr Julie Jones-Evans said was to take away the free parking elsewhere due to the financial position the Isle of Wight Council was in.
She said she had put forward plans for two hours parking costing £2.50 in Newport but “did not get much support.”
The scheme was supposed to be cost-neutral, Cllr Jones-Evans said, but while it bought people into the town, it did so at a cost — which was split between the Isle of Wight Council and the community councils.
Cllr Jones-Evans said that the cessation of the pilot could give the community council a chance to reflect on what they want to achieve, how they make the car parks full and whether it is important enough for Newport and Carisbrooke residents to take the lead.
Cllr Andrew Garratt raised concerns about the people of Newport and Carisbrooke paying for a scheme which would benefit all Islanders, not just them and said it was for the Isle of Wight Council to take that responsibility,
The community council has asked for a report from the Isle of Wight Council about the pilot and how well it performed.
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