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% 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, Councillor 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. Councillor 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 2 after the first free 1 – 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 1-2 hours and £6.15 for 2-3 hours. It now costs between £1.20 and £6.15 to park in those car parks. Councillor 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, Councillor 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, Councillor 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. Councillor 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. Councillor 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.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL FRUSTRATED WITH LOSS OF 1-HOUR FREE PARKING INITIATIVE
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Why don’t you lower parking costs??????
Do you not realise that if it was a reasonable amount more people would use them …..
Therefore it would create more revenue…..
Then if the iow council stopped taking a proportion of it for their pension pot’s, there wouldn’t be any deficit…..
Simple it’s not rocket science!!!!!
Actively killing off the town. Well done politicians. Doing what’s best for us all…… apparently.
Unfortunately the council don’t care about small businesses or people trying to support them, I can’t think the last time I parked in Newport to buy something apart from the supermarkets with free parking! The cost of delivery to my home for internet orders offsets what I would have to pay in parking, Isle of Wight council will be wondering in a years time while there is a drop in business rates and carpark revenue and I will give you a clue…. STOP RIPPING US OF AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY! Maybe make some small financial sacrifices within the council and maybe just maybe stop wasting our money!
What you say is correct, it seems our council, later than most have realised that people are not going to shops as they did as a result the shops are closing and business rate receipts are falling, so allowing building everywhere will reduce that loss by the additional council tax they receive
Yeah, I too think there are too few cars in Newport right now. There’s never ever any traffic congestion there. We should clearly lower the prices to encourage more traffic.
It’s disgusting what they are proposing to charge. £4.10 !!!! Well we won’t be going into town anymore they can stick it where the sun don’t shine. This will cause even more empty shops in Newport. Well done Isle of Wight clowncil !!!!
Seriously how has it got to the stage where it costs £4.10 for a 2 hour parking stay in Newport? It’s obscene. These councillors need to take a very long look in the mirror.
Why should they worry, they have free parking in newport
Really, where is that then? Down a side street somewhere?
All the shops have been closed down this town is coming like a ghost town…………..
The world plan is to close all small businesses down, and it’s working.
Councils do what their leaders tell them to do.
It’s a shame that local councils have no means of applying pressure on the central IWCC other than voicing their concerns, which is about as effective as asking a hungry lion to stop eating you.
(Yes I know town councils have representatives on the central council but the cabinet system and lack of respect for the oversight committee renders them toothless)
Actually if you scrapped all the town and so called community councils on the island, sold the buildings, the savings would be huge and probably negate any requirement to increase council tax.
Wankers well done for getting people into town to send money..again..wankers.although newport is a shit hole of a town anyway..
I really love the paid parking system, I really hope the toilet vandals don’t vandalize the parking meters, that would be terrible.
Yes it’s kick the motorist time again, how about looking for another target? Take an idea from Heathrow Airport and charge mums £5 a time to drop their children off at the school gate.
And an easy solution to this problem is to park in the council staff car park. Another benefit is that there won’t be any potholes in that car park.
If challenged, tell the Council you have already paid your Council Tax, which pays for that building and its car park.
SIMPLES!
What staff car park?
County Hall is a pay & display car park like all the others around Newport. Nobody will challenge you, you’ll just get a PCN same as the staff\councillors if they forget to pay!
It was great while it lasted
In my home town on the mainland the council had a great idea first 2 hrs free parking ….. no empty shops anymore and the place is alive any day of the week …. That’s all we need a council who have a brain
FREE PARKING outside Sandown Pier and on the pavement
opposite the Pier on the pavement where the burger van
use to be.
Perfecto, beats paying seafront parking charges.
I cannot believe the Island does not raise extra revenue by
charging permit parking charges islandwide.
It will reduce the number of vehicles on this small island.
Don’t miss a great opportunity Cllr Jordan
if the machines were damaged – there would be a defennce for people to say they don
t have a smartphone and stuff the greedy useless council up. The roads are shocking and to park overnight anywehere else is a pound..... £2.40 here where the minimum wage is all that seems to be paid.... Its abcolutely disgusting greedy money grabbing by an out of touch council