On 20 Jul 2014 at 10:51am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Yesterday, I was delighted to see that the council have resurfaced the potholed, rubble-strewn yard that was known as Castle Precincts car park. It almost looks like a proper car park now.
I was less delighted to see that they've put the charges up from 60p per hour to 70p ... for the first hour, then it goes up to 80p an hour - a 33% increase! It's not that long (a year, or 2 at the most) since it went up from 50p an hour.
Have other car parks had their charges increased when they've been improved?
On 20 Jul 2014 at 2:22pm local person wrote:
Putting prices up after improvements is always an intruguing argument. The Council argue that they need to pay for the improvements. but what were the maintenance costs before when the Council was running a crappy car park which didn't meet the policy requirements but did charge top prices? If they couldn't make money before to pay for some tarmac and white lines, where have the profits been going?
On 20 Jul 2014 at 4:02pm Hailsham is Free Parking wrote:
and cheaper houses , nice people and NO HILLS LOL
On 20 Jul 2014 at 4:56pm Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
Out of interest, what's the wish/need to park in these parks for more than an hour?
You are either spending or earning a significant amount of money - ways the beef with a few more shillings?
If the council is raising money (and that's an if) via parking charges, isn't that better than an increase in council tax?
Do people realise how much less money councils get from
Central govt?
If you argue for more independence from Westminster then loc charges like this will be much higher than the odd 20 or 30 p
On 20 Jul 2014 at 5:06pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Getting your hair cut, having a pedicure, buying frocks, having a nice lunch - none of these can be done in under an hour.
I accept things have to go up as costs rise, but not 15 times the rate of inflation. That's just taking the pee.
On 20 Jul 2014 at 5:14pm Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
Oh I agree on the need to park for longer than an hour
My point is that paying for any or all of those things makes the extra pennies pretty much irrelevant in the bigger scheme of things
On 20 Jul 2014 at 8:31pm Historian wrote:
Of course having 3 councils ain't cheap !!
On 20 Jul 2014 at 11:06pm Park43Monitor wrote:
Park in Tesco or Aldi free for 3 hours. How much time do you want ffs?
On 21 Jul 2014 at 11:40am local person wrote:
It's a car park. Until recently a crap, unmaintained gravel strewn pot holed mess of car park which didn't even have marked bays, but did charge. What were the costs of maintaining that, and how much of any excess was saved to resurface it? ACT is quite right. The rise in price is well above inflation. What is so special about this car park that it can charge inflation busting prices? This is a Council asset that is owned by tax payers who should not then be charged above inflation rates for there own facility. It is an abuse by the Council who have no competition to regulate inflation related prices.
(and PS , lots of people need more than an hour, that is why there is an option for people parking for more than an hour!)
On 21 Jul 2014 at 12:22pm Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
No one is disputing the desire or need for longer than an hour
Inflation busting the increases might be (although how many times did inflation rise and the charges not rise?)
But people are still whining about wanting to spend serious money in town and then complain about pennies in the car park.
Perspective
On 21 Jul 2014 at 12:37pm Straight Talker wrote:
Have a pedicure!!! Ok, so you don't mind wasting money having your toenails painted but you grudge paying a few extra pence to park your gas guzzler in town.
Why don't you use those lovely pedicured feet.....and walk?
On 21 Jul 2014 at 12:53pm Clifford wrote:
Thomas Jerome Newton wrote: '... people are still whining about wanting to spend serious money in town and then complain about pennies in the car park. Perspective.'
Perhaps their 'perspective' comes from the fact that they have already paid once for this service through their council tax and resent being ripped off through an above-inflation increase. Would you favour entry fees for parks and libraries as well as part of your 'perspective'? Or how about a charge for walking along the pavement?
On 21 Jul 2014 at 3:32pm Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
They haven't paid once for this service tho' - nothing in your council tax breakdown entitles you to free parking. Why do you talk as if it does?
Are there councils that have free parking across their towns?
And your strawman argument about libraries and (oh my aching sides) walking along the pavement expose the poverty of your thinking
Do you think councils are sitting on piles of cash? Or do you think core services are being cut by cash strapped councils and that this isn't actually a rip-off but a much-needed topping up of funds?
On 21 Jul 2014 at 4:07pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Well, Straight Talker, I don't walk far for the same reason as I don't paint my own toenails - arthritis makes it incredibly damn painful.
On 21 Jul 2014 at 9:23pm local wrote:
20p. Outrage. Almost twenty hours of higher-cost parking will deprive you of one pint of lager in a pub in town.
As straight-talker said, perspective please.
On 21 Jul 2014 at 10:53pm Clifford wrote:
Thomas - you don't think things through do you? Parking is run by the council; we pay council tax. Libraries are run by the council; we pay council tax. Parks are run by the council; we pay council tax. Are you beginning to get it? The fact that we pay council tax means we have paid for the services the council provides. Is it beginning to get clearer? The council may choose to charge us again for using car parks, libraries, parks, but that's a separate issue. Now go and brush up your perception.
On 21 Jul 2014 at 10:56pm Clifford wrote:
Thomas - so you wouldn't mind if the council started charging for libraries as a 'much needed topping up of funds'. If we pay council tax and the council operates a service, we have already paid for it by virtue of paying council tax. No, go and examine your 'perception' before accusing others of poverty of thinking.
On 21 Jul 2014 at 10:57pm Clifford wrote:
And my apologies for the double post - the first did not appear, and then appeared after I'd written the second.
On 21 Jul 2014 at 11:00pm Historian wrote:
Other towns DO have free parking. Even the Government have commented on High Street rip off parking fees by Local Councils milking the public and high streets becoming empty and no go zones as punters shop else where these days.
Why can't we have pay when you leave car parks.... Oh, then there would be no fines, for staying extra time. Isn't that a con ?
On 22 Jul 2014 at 6:01am Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
Councils could start choosing to charge for libraries, but what they tend to do is just close them down altogether, as has happened all over the country
Councils have a finite amount of money to spend - it doesn't cover every service they provide so they have options
Raise council tax
Charge across the board for everything
Prioritise key services - eg libraries and provide for free and charge small sums for other services - eg parking
Now I don't think libraries and parking are comparable services in the first place
car parking is a finite resource - only so many spaces in a given plot of land. Pricing is a way of managing demand as much as it is raising revenue. And given the activities we undertake when driving (spending, basically) a small fee for parking seems justifiable. It's a small enough town, I usually walk it unless I really have to
Historian - any links to the points you make? I'm aware of government comment on over-zealous parking fine companies, but not about car-park charges
On 22 Jul 2014 at 6:51am Sussex Jim wrote:
Thomas- all towns in Wealden District have free parking; from Pevensey to Crowborough. And long may it continue.
On 22 Jul 2014 at 7:05am Cool hand Luke wrote:
Southover house having been tarted up has got the most wonderful air con , it's so cool in there , go in and pretend your looking for , house , or benefits in this hot weather that will cool off the argument , and all at nearly no cost to install and run , stick that up your precept ,
On 22 Jul 2014 at 7:15am Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
Thanks Jim
Luke, slightly less thanks.
On 22 Jul 2014 at 8:06am Zzz.. wrote:
Stupid argument of the week alert:
Thomas Jerome Newton wrote: "nothing in your council tax breakdown entitles you to free parking. Why do you talk as if it does?"
Nothing in our council tax breakdown entitles us the free air either!
Anyway, its the large 'increase' in parking costs that people are concerned about. Nothing to do with 'free parking'.
On 22 Jul 2014 at 8:56am Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
that's yet another strawman argumant Zzz
but anyway - the increase in parking - you call it large and I'm simply stating that it isn't that large. you can talk in percentage terms if you want but you are still talking nominal sums compared to the likely spend in town
On 22 Jul 2014 at 11:21pm local forigner wrote:
"Local person" must not be local for very long, or has forgotten the initial proposal was for "the profits of the parking scheme to be put into out of town car parks and park and rides schemes." It was NOT intended to subsidise council tax and the maintenance of any existing facilities.
(They have always claimed there is no real profit)
If it looks like a tax, feels like a tax then it may be "A TAX!"
Oh, and are British Gas and Post office (now private) paying for Trade permits?
Can you imagine if they tried to sell us the parking scheme based upon the proposal that the extra charges we all face will allow the council to "maintain the status quo?"
I speak to loads of people from surrounding areas that have written off Lewes because of the parking controls. It only takes one fine when one is 5 min late to make a person write off an entire town. But it isn't THAT they find annoying. They feel, "I am going to spend 3 hours in Lewes and may spend £600; so why am I being charged?!"
On 9 Aug 2014 at 10:52am hawths4 wrote:
Park in Tesco or Aldi free for 3 hours. How much time do you want ffs?
suggest you check the sign in Aldi car park! Are there any camera in Tesco's?