3.2 The proposed measures and reductions in tariff have been designed to cater for local trading demands and to encourage a higher patronage and turnover of spaces in the Edgware area. There is a theoretical risk that the reduced parking tariffs may not improve turnover and patronage to achieve the increase in parking income. This has been assessed against existing generated income, which is currently significantly below the level predicted for the current financial year. Should income not match currently achieved parking revenue, then a recovery plan will be developed by the Environment, Planning and Regeneration directorate to mitigateWhat will cause much consternation amongst shop owners in other parts of the Borough is the fact charges in Edgware have been massively lowered. This will give traders in Edgware a significant competetive advantage over traders in other High Streets. The new charges are as follows:-
the loss in revenue.
8.24 It is therefore considered that the following changes be introduced:
Reduce the parking tariffs in certain short stay (existing 1 hour 30 minutes
maximum stay) pay by phone parking places on Station Road, Hale Lane, Manor
Park Crescent, Penshurst Gardens, Edgwarebury Lane, The Drive, and High Street
(Edgware Road) to:
Up to 15 mins: £0.35
Up to 30 mins: £0.65
Up to 1 hour: £1.30
Up to 1.5 hours: £1.95
Here is the document. Check the table in appendix C to see just how badly Colemans parking hike hit revenues. It completely supports traders Leader Helen Michael's assertion that the crackpot scheme has been completely botched and has damaged the council revenue as much as it damaged traders business.
I can only wonder what Helen will have to say when she sees that despite all her conversations with Coleman and his replacement Dean Cohen, people will be able to park in Edgware for half an hour for 65p. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she finds out .
In my local area, you used to have to buy permits in shops, sometimes people would have tickets by the time they emerged from the shop to put the permits in. The council parking section have now changed it to allow 15 minutes free parking. Which gives time to pop in for a paper or to get some cash out etc or even buy a permit to shop for longer. Much less stress and much easier if you only need a couple of minutes.
ReplyDeleteBefore this changed the footfall in the shops was down massively, as was parking revenue by all accounts.
How much has the parking fines gone up in these same areas where people have miss keyed the bay number. Selected the wrong registration number on their list or failed to confirm. I had a lift to Finchley to grab a few things. My Friend did everything she thought. Within minutes she had a ticket even though she called the back office who acknowledged that she had attempted to pay and indeed thought she had. I know loads who have tried and failed and now refuse to use this system. The cost of getting it wrong is too high to try. It is not user friendly and for those who simply want to grab a tax Free Pastie who are simply passing through, stop, read what they have to do and drive off. If you really want to see what's going on look in the salons/nail shops appointment logs. in Mill Hill take your pick between 11 am and 12o/c Early birds are out before the 11 am curfew. They are parking on yellow lines out of hours. We no longer browse and many now shop and Bank on line. Cost to employment and revenue from Rates not to mention more people not paying income tax. More rate reductions for those on low income and Benefit ( not their fault).If you make it impossible to keep the economy going by getting people to spend then the knock on effect is far greater than just the revenue of traders who simply have to work longer hours behind the counter and do their paperwork after they have closed because their businesses can no longer support extra staff. This has cost HMRC LBB DWP a fortune. At the end of the day it costs us as there is bound to be a shortfall that Council Tax payers will have to pick up by way of increases.
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