WBC only council in the south to lose money on parking, BBC South Today report Options

[hamster]

Just saw a brief news report on BBC South Today

Brighton & Hove Council make the equivalent of £25.00 profit per year for each adult living in the city from their fines and £60 per year per adult from Permit schemes and meters.

Meanwhile Paul Clifton reports from outside West Berks Council in Newbury, I quote "they take a very different approach, it’s the only Council in Southern England to lose money on its car parking. Tax payers subsidise it."

Was making a loss planned then? I didn't see a mention of using my money to subsidise parking in the Council Tax leaflet last year did you? Is this council spin to justify the rubbish management of our parking or just a case of padding out the day’s news?

[TallDarkAndHands...]

Just saw a brief news report on BBC South Today

Brighton & Hove Council make the equivalent of £25.00 profit per year for each adult living in the city from their fines and £60 per year per adult from Permit schemes and meters.

Meanwhile Paul Clifton reports from outside West Berks Council in Newbury, I quote "they take a very different approach, it’s the only Council in Southern England to lose money on its car parking. Tax payers subsidise it."

Was making a loss planned then? I didn't see a mention of using my money to subsidise parking in the Council Tax leaflet last year did you? Is this council spin to justify the rubbish management of our parking or just a case of padding out the day’s news?

You can only fit so may Civil Environment Officers in one road.......

[JeffG]

I'd be interested to know how much it costs to maintain a car park. Perhaps we'd all save money if they abolished parking charges and the enforcement officers altogether. The shops would benefit too.

Seems like win-win to me.

[Alleylad]

Free parking - now there's an idea

[Berkshirelad]

You can only fit so may Civil Environment Officers in one road.......

CEO = Civil Enforcement Officer

[TallDarkAndHands...]

CEO = Civil Enforcement Officer

Makes them sound like Terminators Oh hang on a minute. They think they are... Hasta La Vista Fiesta.

[spartacus]

Do we want parking schemes that are run purely as money making machines?

I appreciate that we don't want them to run at huge losses, but if they break even that's a sign of better management than running parking schemes that bring in big returns. I'd say that may partly be a sign of POOR parking management.

It either indicates that too many people are being caught out because their parking schemes are designed to entrap, or their wardens are even more zealous than ours are accused of being.

[user23]

I'd be interested to know how much it costs to maintain a car park. Perhaps we'd all save money if they abolished parking charges and the enforcement officers altogether. The shops would benefit too.

Seems like win-win to me.

How does that work. They still need to maintain the car parks and pay many of the enforcement officers but they get no revenue from parking to do it.

Sounds like we're getting the best deal on parking in the South to me.

[Hugh Saskin]

Makes them sound like Terminators Oh hang on a minute. They think they are... Hasta La Vista Fiesta.

You'd know all about that of course, not having a driving licence and all - was it a Ford Fiesta you saw 'a traffic warden ticketing a car that had obviously become stuck in the snow today' ?

[JeffG]

I'd be interested to know how much it costs to maintain a car park. Perhaps we'd all save money if they abolished parking charges and the enforcement officers altogether. The shops would benefit too.

Seems like win-win to me.

How does that work. They still need to maintain the car parks and pay many of the enforcement officers but they get no revenue from parking to do it.

Sounds like we're getting the best deal on parking in the South to me.

If you read my post again: if we don't have any enforcement officers, we don't have to pay them. Yes, car parks need maintenance, but if charges were abolished (no barriers, no machines) the only maintenance cost would be for the upkeep of the surface and painting some white lines.

More people would visit the town centre, shop revenues would increase, and as far as I can see everybody benefits.

I'm expecting someone to find a flaw in my argument, though

[Darren]

I'm expecting someone to find a flaw in my argument, though

Ohh, ohh. Me please.

How would you enforce disabled bays?
Deal with people parking in 4 spaces so they don't have anyone too close?
Drivers abandoning their car where ever they felt like?
Assuming they would be locked at night, who would check they were empty and lock up?

Enough flaws?

[JeffG]

Oh Darren, surely there aren't people around who would do any of those things? Where is your faith in human nature?

[Strafin]

Ohh, ohh. Me please.

How would you enforce disabled bays?
Deal with people parking in 4 spaces so they don't have anyone too close?
Drivers abandoning their car where ever they felt like?
Assuming they would be locked at night, who would check they were empty and lock up?

Enough flaws?

Disabled bays could be left to a trust basis, it's pretty taboo to use them if you are not entitled to, I don't think it would be a big problem, you can abuse them now for short periods of time if you so wish. You can't park across 4 spaces unless you're in a limo, but I know what you mean, however you can still do that now, you might get fined but it still goes on. Drivers causing an obstruction could be dealt with by the police, if they're not obstruting then there's no problem. Why lock them up? They could still be monitored though, no reason why someone can't be on hand to keep an eye on things. I think if we put our heads together we could do away with WBC altogether!

[Darren]

Sorry. yes, I was forgetting. Fresh box of Trust in Human Nature opened and all is well again.

Problem with council car parks is that they are not classed as public highways and therefore the police cannot deal with obsructions.

I'm going to do my part. Tomorrow I'll go and do a collection at the old peoples home. Last year I nearly managed a football team before they made me put them back.

Off now to walk around Tesco in my PJ's and slippers.

[user23]

If you read my post again: if we don't have any enforcement officers, we don't have to pay them. Yes, car parks need maintenance, but if charges were abolished (no barriers, no machines) the only maintenance cost would be for the upkeep of the surface and painting some white lines.

More people would visit the town centre, shop revenues would increase, and as far as I can see everybody benefits.

I'm expecting someone to find a flaw in my argument, though

I read it. If we don't have any enforcement officers who's going to enforce the law?

When I decide to park my car, two wheels up on the pavement stopping everyone getting past because I want to save a few minutes shopping who's going to stop me? What about sideways across a disabled bay? In fact right in front of your car so you can't move it all day? Who's going to come to your aid?

No one. At least you have a few extra pennies in your pocket though.

[Strafin]

Off now to walk around Tesco in my PJ's and slippers.

See you there, I'm the guy in the long johns!

[hamster]

When I saw that report my only thought was WBC are making a loss due to the cost of employing so many of the meanies. I suppose there could be many ways of looking at it and we would be up in arms if WBC was clawing in money hand over fist like Brighton and Hove (then again they get a lot of tourism there and have many more pay to park spaces than we do)

[user23]

Having read something Graham Jones has allegedly said, apparently Brighton get £25 for every adult living in their area from car park fines whereas West Berkshire get 62p per adult from fines, the lowest in the south east. That's why Brighton make so much money. Do we really want that in West Berkshire?

[Strafin]

No we don't. If that is true, then I would say the balance is about right. I suspect that it's not though.

[Hugh Saskin]

Probably need to factor in parking difficulties and the congestion caused by illegal parking in places like Brighton compared to Newbury as well. Wasn't Brighton the place where Chris Eubank cheekily moved a parked dray that was blocking the street? If anyone knows a place in the centre of Brighton where they give you three hours free parking, can they tell us, please?