Chamber action means free parking continues in Leamington
Businesses are coming together in Leamington to ensure that motorists do not feel the pinch when new on-street parking charges are introduced next month.
Thanks to the work of The Leamington Spa Chamber of Trade more than 100 businesses in the town could take part in a “Parking Refund Scheme” allowing customers to have their on-street parking charges (20p and £1) refunded - subject to certain terms and conditions.
A number of streets, which currently are ‘free’, will become ‘Pay and Display’ streets from August 6 when parking enforcement comes into effect.
From that date stores displaying the ‘parking refund’ logo will refund on-street parking fees paid by customers. Customers will need to hand in the tear off strip on their Pay and Display ticket issued from the on-street machines to the retailers who are participating in the scheme. Details of the retailers involved in the scheme will be issued nearer the launch date.
“We recognise the benefits of proper parking enforcement,” said Brian Wall, Chairman of the Royal Leamington Spa chamber of Trade. “But we are also keen to minimise the impact of the on-street charges on our customers, especially while the scheme is getting established. As a result we are working with Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council to promote a parking refund scheme. Information about the scheme is currently being delivered to businesses and it is important that as many businesses as possible join this promotion.”
Many of the streets which business and their customers park in will still be ‘free’ after August 6 but the expansion of the resident parking scheme will mean that some of those streets will have restrictions introduced.
“We recognise that there will be some displacement of parking across the three towns which if the experience of other towns is anything to go by will take a few weeks to settle down” commented Cllr Michael Kinson, Warwick District Council Portfolio holder Environment, “but overall we expect to see better availability of short stay spaces within the commercial core of the town and that should benefit the majority of businesses.”
Warwick Chamber of Trade is not participating in the scheme at the present time. A parking refund scheme is already in place in Kenilworth for off-street. As a result there are no plans for an on-street refund scheme in Kenilworth.
The implementation of decriminalised parking in Warwick District is in line with government policy, and will see responsibility for the enforcement of on-street waiting restrictions pass from Warwickshire Police to Warwickshire County Council in a bid to tackle parking issues and help town centres remain sustainable and competitive.
Parking offences will cease to be a criminal matter and become a civil matter instead. Warwick District Council will operate the scheme on behalf of the county council under a partnership agreement.
Three Traffic Wardens and eleven Car Park Inspectors in the district will be replaced by a team of 30 uniformed Parking Attendants, providing much more effective control of parking.
The initiative is an integral part of Warwickshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan and is being rolled out throughout the county. Similar schemes have already been introduced in Stratford on Avon District in 2004, and in Rugby Borough in October last year
Residents in residential parking zones will be able to buy up to three resident permits plus one visitor permit per household. The cost of the first resident permit and of the visitor permit will be £15 each. Additional residents permits (maximum of 2) will be £25 each.
Each resident permit will be for a specific registration number, but the visitor permit may be used on any visiting vehicle. All residents who will be eligible for permits will receive a letter very soon explaining how the system will work and how to apply.
For more details see http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/decrim