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Car park price increase confirmed
04/07/2023
Councillor says it’s could be a good news story as they aren’t going up as much as had been planned
Price increases at Cherwell District Council car parks have been approved – but the councillor with responsibility for the proposal says it could be seen as a good news story because the charges aren’t going up as much as they had originally planned.
Councillor Andrew McHugh, who was recently elected to represent Deddington, is the portfolio holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities. He told a meeting of the Council’s Executive that the Council had a legal requirement to deliver a balanced budget, balancing income with expenditure.
Whilst the cost for the first hour of parking will increase by 10 pence, subsequent hours will remain at their current levels – which differs from the plans outlined last year.
Councillor McHugh said: “Our medium-term financial plan assumed an up to 10p increase in 23/24 across the board. These recommendations … are not for increases across the board.
“For instance, the charge for the second and third hour remains unchanged and this is in recognition that since the pandemic footfall in the urban centres has been reduced significantly and this has had a direct impact on parking income and usage.”
Councillor McHugh acknowledged families were struggling at the moment but justified the increase though comparisons with other facilities locally, and further afield, together with the need to deliver a balanced budget.
He said: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis has had a significant impact on disposable income for families and for this reason we have kept to the absolute minimum necessary. The proposed increases represent the financial prudence needed for the MTFP [Medium Term Financial Plan].
“The proposed charges are competitive with alternative providers and within the district and are in line with other surrounding towns. And, I would add, are significantly less than car phobic Oxford.”
A number of local business owners had been calling on Councillors to support the town centre by providing a period of free parking as an incentive for people to come into Banbury. The increase will come as a huge disappointment to them, but Councillor McHugh believes last night’s amendment to the original plan could be seen as something positive.
He said: “It gives me no pleasure to recommend any increases to car parking charge, but they are significantly less than that that was authorised by the Council last year. Therefore you could see this as a good news story and taken across the board this represents an increase below the headline rate of inflation.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam