Bournemouth councillor vows to keep parking prices down (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Bournemouth councillor vows to keep parking prices down
5:00pm Saturday 12th January 2013 in News By Melanie Vass
CHARGES: Revenue from car parks such as the Winter Gardens car park, pictured, has made £6.9m during the 2011/12 period
WE won’t treat motorists like cash cows – that’s the pledge from a Bournemouth councillor who has vowed to try and keep parking prices down.
Parking charges have been frozen for the past three years in Bournemouth in an attempt to try and encourage more shoppers and tourists to visit the town.
And Cllr Michael Filer said the council would not “milk” motorists in an attempt to boost their budgets.
He spoke out as the Institute of Advanced Motorists published figures showing that, across the country, councils have increased the amount they are making in parking charges and fines by an average of 15 per cent.
In neighbouring Hampshire, councils raked in nearly £10million in parking charges during 2011/12 – an increase of 44 per cent on the previous year.
But across Dorset and the New Forest, local authorities saw their income revenue from parking fines and charges reduced by a total of £8.1m to £6.9m.
Bournemouth, Poole, East Dorset, Purbeck and the New Forest all made less during 2011/12 than they did in 2010/11. Only Dorset County Council, North Dorset District Council and Christchurch increased their revenue.
Cllr Filer, Bournemouth’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “I shudder when I see some of the increases across the country.
“If I had my way, this would certainly not happen in Bourne- mouth.
“We are a tourism resort and we want people to come here. We are happy for them to come by car.
“When they are here, we don’t want to milk them out of excess funds.
“The only problem we have in the town at the moment is privately owned and operated car parks that charge more than the council and help give the town a bad name.”
He said he could not guarantee car parking charges would not increase but added: “We are trying to be sure there will be no increase. That’s certainly what we are looking for.
“We want to entice motorists from all round the region to buy season tickets and period tickets.
“We would rather have more usage and less cost.”
Comments(18)
skydriver
says...
5:31pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Turtlebay
says...
5:32pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Like parking meters that are illegal?
BmthNewshound
says...
6:34pm Sat 12 Jan 13
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Illegal parking meters which are still accepting payments and generating income, no guarantee that parking charges won't increase.... and he claims not to be "milking motorists"
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The fact that revenues from parking is actually falling clearly demonstrates that drivers are being put off parking in the town. Why pay when you can park for free at Castlepoint or any of the other retail parks around Bournemouth and Poole ?
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When it comes to milking local taxpayers the Filer household doesn't do too badly claiming £40k in allowances..... partly paid for by the £6.9m made from car parking revenue.
muscliffman
says...
6:39pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Even this action will barely level the playing field with the modern competition, just look at the layout of the town, but it would be a positive start.
Some of the resulting revenue loss could be made up reasonably easily with a bit of imagination and a a few savings (starting with those utterly pointless 'Town Rangers' perhaps).
While we are thinking radical, why not get rid of all the unwelcoming 'no entry' signs and reverse town-centre pedestrianisation - it is not the solution to prosperity an older generation believed it was.
Motorists in town are not the problem thay are the salvation, encourage them in - don't turn them away.
Maybe it's long time for some fresh blood and new thinking in that dusty, seemingly dodgy old Town Hall.
Echoman007
says...
7:35pm Sat 12 Jan 13
We should reduce this councils aspiration to meddle and waste money. That will more than pay for the reduction Mr Filer.
Indeed the additional volume of people coming and parking in the town may well mean that revenues don't fall commensurately and indeed the additional money spent will make the town more prosperous.
This introverted and self centred bunch who run Bournemouth (or rather attempt to run) wouldn't understand though.
jobsworthwatch
says...
7:37pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Peggy Babcock
says...
8:18pm Sat 12 Jan 13
TerreHaute
says...
9:00pm Sat 12 Jan 13
steveatbournemouth
says...
9:01pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Yes the answer is ................US.
Born in Bmth
says...
9:02pm Sat 12 Jan 13
TerreHaute
says...
9:02pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Peggy Babcock
says...
7:43am Sun 13 Jan 13
TerreHaute wrote:Just for you:
It was cute for a while but people really have to watch their use of "Simples". They can look a bit empty headed, lacking in imagination and stuck in the past...
Stop slapping parking meters that give no change on every road in the Bmth town centre. Then you might succeed in shoppers returning. Simple.
So where is your 'imaginative' comment comment then, rather than having a cheap dig at mine?
corozin
says...
8:47am Sun 13 Jan 13
Central Bournemouth is losing the battle with Castlepoint a little more every year in my opinion.
Phixer
says...
9:07am Sun 13 Jan 13
Not much joined up thinking in BBC.
Hessenford
says...
11:48am Sun 13 Jan 13
Earl
says...
4:19pm Sun 13 Jan 13
bournenbred
says...
9:51pm Sun 13 Jan 13
Stable Doors and Horses !
Oh what is the point ??
pete woodley says...
5:08pm Sat 12 Jan 13