5:00pm Saturday 20th March 2010
By Tom Parkes
PAY-AND-DISPLAY parking machines were approved for Colchester’s Crouch Street four years ago, it has emerged.
Tim Young, Labour councillor responsible for street services at Colchester Council, has revealed the introduction of charges was agreed by a Tory predecessor, but was never implemented.
Mr Young says he could bring in the charges immediately – but says he will make his decision after considering residents’ views.
The council is reviewing parking in Crouch Street, where shoppers can leave their cars for half an hour at no cost.
A petition signed by thousands of shoppers, calling for the status quo to be maintained, has been presented to the authority’s cabinet.
On receiving it, Mr Young said his mind was not made up and the public’s views would be taken into account.
He added: “A decision has already been made on this in 2006 by the Conservative planning portfolio holder at the time, Elizabeth Blundell.
“I don’t know why it wasn’t implemented.
“There was no fuss made at the time, presumably because people were not consulted about it, but this administration does not make decisions on that basis. We consult and then we make our decision.”
A report submitted by council officers in 2006 said pay and display was needed because Crouch Street’s free 30-minutes parking regime was being abused regularly.
It said shop workers were parking outside their stores all day and getting around the system by moving their cars for a few minutes while traffic wardens were in the area.
It added that blue badge holders were allowed to park in Crouch Street for as long as they wanted, and frequently took full advantage while going about their business elsewhere in the town centre.
The report said while the free parking system was designed to encourage shoppers, it was difficult to find a space.
It concluded bringing in charges should benefit businesses by making it easier for customers to park.
Crouch Street business representatives who presented the latest petition said the 2006 decision was irrelevant.
Roger Buston, of Asher Prior Bates solicitors in Crouch Street, who spoke on his neighbours’ behalf, said: “At the moment a single space is used four or five times in a half hour.
“If you pay, you stay – and that will mean reduced turnover.”
Dennis Willetts, Conservative councillor, said he suspected his colleagues had not realised the impact pay and display would have when the decision was approved in 2006.
He added: “If we had thought parking charges were a good idea, we would have actually implemented them.”
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