Call to scrap hated parking fees
Yorkshire Post Today
Robert Sutcliffe
SEVEN hundred people have signed a petition demanding an end to one of Calderdale Council's most hated charges – being forced to pay £25 for the privilege of parking outside their own home.
Householders living in streets around Todmorden town centre want the scheme scrapped completely. People living in the Cambridge Street and Industrial Street area are feeling particularly incensed about the introduction of charges agreed at the council's budget in March.
Most said in a survey that they did not want to pay even if they could be allocated a space.
Details of the scheme are due to be debated at a meeting at Halifax town hall of the council's regeneration and development scrutiny panel on Wednesday.
A report for that meeting by Janet Waggott, group director of regeneration and development, says: "A permit does not guarantee a space in front of their property or even within a zone, though it does restrict competition for spaces within a zone to those residents with a permit.''
It claims the measure would save the council £14,000 in 2006/07 and £24,000 in subsequent years.
But Calderdale councillor Olwen Jennings, (Lib Dem, Todmorden), said: "I just think the whole thing is a bit too much and rather bureaucratic. "Parking has always been an issue where people don't like to pay and this seems to be an easy target – 'hit the motorist'.
"I am not against the whole scheme in principle but I think the price of the permits has been set very high.
"The residents of Todmorden are very much up-in-arms about it and the majority of people don't want it.''
Former Todmorden town mayor Dorothy Jordan was even more vehement, saying: "I think it is absolutely disgraceful.
"It is just not on. Even if you buy one of these permits there is no guarantee that you can park outside your own front door or close to it.
"We hold a market four days a week and people park wherever they want to and there's no enforcement of the current arrangements.''
Earlier this year Coun Ruth Goldthorpe (Lib Dem, Todmorden) handed in a 700-strong petition demanding an end to the charges.
She said: "The message is very clear – they want the parking permits scrapped completely.
"Why can't the council just get on and do what the people want and scrap this hated charge?''
The report recommends that the petition is noted and says a formal residents' survey should be arranged before the charges are introduced.
It says there are already 61 zones enforced by the police and traffic wardens. Ms Waggott says: "There is a perception that enforcement is not as robust as residents would like and there is extensive abuse of the restrictions to the point where some residents feel the permit is not worthwhile.''
Later this year the council will take over enforcement of parking zones.robert.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk
Robert Sutcliffe
SEVEN hundred people have signed a petition demanding an end to one of Calderdale Council's most hated charges – being forced to pay £25 for the privilege of parking outside their own home.
Householders living in streets around Todmorden town centre want the scheme scrapped completely. People living in the Cambridge Street and Industrial Street area are feeling particularly incensed about the introduction of charges agreed at the council's budget in March.
Most said in a survey that they did not want to pay even if they could be allocated a space.
Details of the scheme are due to be debated at a meeting at Halifax town hall of the council's regeneration and development scrutiny panel on Wednesday.
A report for that meeting by Janet Waggott, group director of regeneration and development, says: "A permit does not guarantee a space in front of their property or even within a zone, though it does restrict competition for spaces within a zone to those residents with a permit.''
It claims the measure would save the council £14,000 in 2006/07 and £24,000 in subsequent years.
But Calderdale councillor Olwen Jennings, (Lib Dem, Todmorden), said: "I just think the whole thing is a bit too much and rather bureaucratic. "Parking has always been an issue where people don't like to pay and this seems to be an easy target – 'hit the motorist'.
"I am not against the whole scheme in principle but I think the price of the permits has been set very high.
"The residents of Todmorden are very much up-in-arms about it and the majority of people don't want it.''
Former Todmorden town mayor Dorothy Jordan was even more vehement, saying: "I think it is absolutely disgraceful.
"It is just not on. Even if you buy one of these permits there is no guarantee that you can park outside your own front door or close to it.
"We hold a market four days a week and people park wherever they want to and there's no enforcement of the current arrangements.''
Earlier this year Coun Ruth Goldthorpe (Lib Dem, Todmorden) handed in a 700-strong petition demanding an end to the charges.
She said: "The message is very clear – they want the parking permits scrapped completely.
"Why can't the council just get on and do what the people want and scrap this hated charge?''
The report recommends that the petition is noted and says a formal residents' survey should be arranged before the charges are introduced.
It says there are already 61 zones enforced by the police and traffic wardens. Ms Waggott says: "There is a perception that enforcement is not as robust as residents would like and there is extensive abuse of the restrictions to the point where some residents feel the permit is not worthwhile.''
Later this year the council will take over enforcement of parking zones.robert.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk
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