Ventnor Town Council is to take on the management of four of the town’s eight Car Parks this coming Saturday (1st August).
This interesting experiment in local management is the outcome of a 12-month collaborative discussion with the Isle of Wight Council and its Officer, which began in April 2014.
The Town Council’s interest in local management centred on the largely unused Dudley Road Car Park, just 100 metres from the old Coastal Visitor Centre and its development plans for it. The plans, which have now been completed, involved the building’s refurbishment to provide 19 offices for public services and small businesses. More than 40 staff are now in residence and there is a significant demand for parking facilities.
When the Town Council’s application under the Community Right to Challenge to manage all eight of
the town’s Car Parks was refused, interest expanded to include three other low use Car Parks along with
Dudley Road including Market Street, Pound Lane and Shore Road in Bonchurch. Although the four together provide almost 200 of the 500 Pay & Display off street parking spaces available in Ventnor, they have routinely provided only 12% of the income from the machines.
The Town Council has decided its initial changes will be the return to the charges in place before the
recent increases for Dudley Road, Market Street and Pound Lane, with a completely different approach
being adopted at Shore Road with charges set at £1 for the first hour and £3 for the full day. Signage will
be changed after 18:00 on Friday (31st July).
The Lease Agreement runs to 30th March 2038 to match the term of the PFI contract as Island Roads
retain responsibility for car park maintenance. The agreed rent is set at the average of the last three
years Pay & Display income.
A new Ventnor Town Council Permit will be available to any one resident of a household within 200
metres of any one of these Car Parks for any one vehicle at a cost of £120 a year.
