The lack of short stay car parks in Ventnor is placing an ‘extra expense’ on shoppers and negatively impacting local businesses, according to Isle of Wight councillor Ed Blake.
Cllr Blake, who represents Ventnor and St Lawrence, has submitted a motion to Isle of Wight Council requesting a new report into the potential for converting Central Car Park into a short stay facility, either in part or in full.
The proposal will be debated at the Policy, Finance and Resources Committee meeting on Thursday (4th September).
The report would examine the implications of such a change and how it aligns with the council’s existing Parking Strategy.
Cllr Ed Blake, Conservative group leader at County Hall, has said:
“The council’s Parking Strategy clearly lays out that a mixed offering of short and long stays should be available in our towns.
“However, Ventnor, despite having the joint largest amount of council car parks of any town on the Island, has an entirely long stay offering with no short stays at all.
“This is wrong and it means that there is an extra expense to shoppers popping into town for less than an hour.
Article continues below this advertisement “This extra tax is hitting local businesses whose customers tell them that they often think twice before heading to Ventnor rather than other towns due to the expense of parking.
“It also means that the car parks are charged 24/7 when a short stay car park would be free after 18:00. This would boost the evening economy of the town.”
In the motion’s preamble, Cllr Blake highlights that residents and visitors who cannot find one of the few free limited-time spaces are “forced into a long stay car park at a minimum charge of £2.05 for an hour”.
He added that the issue has been ongoing for more than a year and said previous council structures had prevented the matter from being properly raised.
Well maybe, just maybe if some of the smaller shops opened on Wednesdays and for decent hours they might make some money, but then again Ventnor as a town is finished, especially now Hurst’s has gone. If you don’t use it you will lose it.
Many of the shops are owned by people with two jobs. The retail community in Ventnor are not shy of work!
Do what other parts of the island do.
Sandown allow free parking all day on the pavement
outside the old tourist information centre opposite
Sandown pier.
Ryde allow vehicles to park all day along Union street
in Ryde even though it states 1 hour parking.
There is a Vauxhall that is parked all day along
Union Street, I can only imagine the civil enforcement officer
is a relation or friend of the owner.
My brother inlaw runs a business along Union Street and
parks in the car park behind, some businesses along
Union Street take the piss.
Rules are strange on the island.
Ventnor needs these changes. A great initiative from Ed Blake, hopefully Jefferies will get right behind it