Question
Bearing in mind the error in stating the reason for raising the car park charges, what confidence do I have in knowing that the council has made an accurate estimate of the numbers of people parking their cars in council car parks in the evenings and weekends? What figures did they use, how did they go about the assessment etc. I would like to see the figures that were used. (I am not against raising charges, but I am against raising charges in the evenings).
Minutes:
Bearing in mind the error in stating the reason for raising the car park charges, what confidence do I have in knowing that the council has made an accurate estimate of the numbers of people parking their cars in council car parks in the evenings and weekends? What figures did they use, how did they go about the assessment etc. I would like to see the figures that were used. (I am not against raising charges, but I am against raising charges in the evenings).
Answer
An evening and Sunday parking survey was carried out in late February 2016, which counted the usage of each of the car parks on a 2 hourly basis from 7pm-11pm Saturday evening and 6am-6pm on Sunday. The data was used to estimate the income from the proposed charges.
Evening charging is based on 10% of the average daily usage and Sunday charging is based on 50% of the average daily usage. Inevitably any income forecasts are an estimate as we cannot always accurately predict how users will respond. However from our experience of other charging changes we reflect that by putting in an element of resistance normally in our forecasts of around 10%.
Supplementary Question
Bearing in mind that in the responses listed to the objections you mentioned several issues and these are all cost related. You talk about the introduction of Parking Enforcement Officers, surely that is going to be a cost that will negate any profit that you make from raising the charges. Then you talk about on-street parking enforcement, that is obviously going to involve a cost to the detriment of any profit that you are going to make.
From my own personal aspect I think you have underestimated the social impact that you are going to have on raising these charges. I use the Woodley Town Council Oakwood Centre and we get on very well with the Council there. I am a member of the Woodley Photographic Club and increasing the charges, not only with us but for other clubs, could have a detrimental effect on our usage of the premises and the attendance that we get. So I would like you to reconsider your proposal to introduce evening and Sunday charges and make it an increase in the daily rate.
Supplementary Answer
I understand what you are saying Mr Hockin. I have a number of other questions to answer and one of them does involve the car park in Woodley.
We have to make some pretty difficult decisions because of the cuts that we have had to take into the Council. We have had a large number of responses to the consultation and if somebody comes up with something that could supplement that or replace that income that we are likely to lose going forward we would always listen to it and I think you will hear as I answer some of the other questions that we have listened to the consultation and so I would ask you to bear with me and listen to the other questions.