New parking strategy for Marlborough?

Marlborough and the rest of Wiltshire could have a new car parking strategy soon if it is approved by the Wiltshire Council Cabinet when it meets on Tuesday (December 14th).

Wiltshire Council describes the strategy, which would be for 2011-2026, as “more consistent” and say it would cover parking policies, parking charges, residents’ parking zones, season tickets and parking standards.

Under the proposals, which follow a public consultation, four new parking bands would be created to ensure car parking charges reflect the size and facilities on offer:

Band 1 – Salisbury

Band 2 – Chippenham and Trowbridge

Band 3 – Amesbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Calne, Corsham, Devizes, Malmesbury, Marlborough, Melksham, Warminster, Westbury.

Band 4 – Small towns and villages

Towns and parish councils in Bands 3- that includes Marlborough Town Council- will be invited to buy back a proportion of short stay spaces to enable them to offer free parking.

Town and parish councils in Band 4, such as those of the towns and villages around Marlborough,  can take over the management of their local car parks as an alternative to charges.

In the consultation people were asked if they would like to see a lower price increase, a moderate increase or a significant increase in charges. 59% opted for lower increases, 23% a modest increase and 18% a significant increase.

The Cabinet will consider new charges which reflect that balance of opinion (with lower charges being applied to the first hour in all bands) plus a 10% increase. The report recommends that any extra revenue over the current year will go directly to support local bus services.

The council says the new charges will still ensure that Wiltshire is competitively priced compared to neighbouring authorities, but it has yet to release details of actual prices to the press at this stage.

Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Dick Tonge, said: "I would like to thank everyone who took the time to give us their views on our new car parking strategy. Their opinions were vital and helped influence the final changes.

"We carried out a very extensive review of car parking in the county. Following local government reorganisation it was clear that car parking policies, charges and management were very different across the county.

"Our new strategy.... helps us to remain competitive and support our local economy whilst encouraging more people to use alternative methods of transport."