Parking charges set to rise to raise £200,000

Warwick District Council’s executive has already approved a rise in parking tariffs now out for consultation before being implemented for 2016.

If approved, changes will mean minimum parking time of two hours across the majority of town car parks with an increase of between 50p and £1 to park all day.

Gary Charlton contract services manager at the council said the changes were vital to fund major repairs to multi-storey sites across the district.

He said: “We want to encourage people to stay in long stay car parks for longer, that’s what they are there for rather than being used for short stay.

“We need to raise revenue and this is how we propose to do it. Linen Street in Warwick is nearing the end of its life and needs £500,000 for repairs over the next three years.

“These changes are happening across all the towns.”

If approved, parking metres in Rosefield Street, Adelaide Bridge, St Peter’s and Covent Garden surface car parks would no longer offering tickets for less than two hours for a £2 charge.

The all day charge would also rise to £4.50 in all town centre sites except at the cheaper Covent Garden’s multi-storey which will be capped at £3.50.

Old Town parking will remain cheaper with Bath Place, Packington Place and Court Street retaining a short stay 24 minute rate, and a £4 fee for the whole day.

It is estimated that removing short stay blocks will raise £27,390 in Leamington alone, with a further £54,413 from upping the all day charge.

But with ongoing complaints that costs are set to remain up to half the price in Kenilworth, council leader Andrew Mobbs has explained it is all down to competition.

He said: “In Kenilworth we have to compete with free supermarket car parks in the town centre. This has been the case for some time.”

Changes do not affect on-street parking bays and will be finalised by full council on December 2.