8/2/2007
Letters
Abolishing free parking amounts to a gross betrayalHart District Council’s coalition group is proposing to increase short-term car parking charges in Fleet’s council-owned car parks by up to 50%, to help plug the budgetary gap of £1.5 million between income and expenditure.
As if this was not enough it also intends to abolish the short-term (up to 30 minutes) free “red bays” in the council’s car parks.
The red parking bays were introduced to compensate for the recent loss of on-street parking. These bays have been greatly welcomed by motorists wishing to briefly visit High Street shops. Indeed, the supermarket Somerfields decided to install a rear entrance to the Church Road car park to help its customers.
The suggestion that the restoration of free on-street parking (unlikely, and anyway it would take months to implement) would give an annual saving of £25,000 is disingenuous.
Savings could be realised only if the council car parks were otherwise full. This is rarely the case.
Abolition of the red bays will amount to a gross betrayal of the motoring public.
It will mean the end of limited free parking in Fleet town centre during shopping hours until after 3pm each weekday.
John Pearson
Hart District Councillor for Fleet Central
Stockton Avenue
Fleet First printed in:
Aldershot News and Mail
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