Derbyshire Dales car parking review moves to next stage
The first detailed policy review in 10 years of public car parks across the Derbyshire Dales is moving to another stage of public consultation. Derbyshire Dales District Council – which operates 33 pay and display car parks throughout the Dales – has put together a set of initial recommendations after inviting local people and traders to give their views on the way ahead over the past two months.
Recommendations drawn up by a special sub-committee carrying out the review are to be considered by the District Council’s Environment Committee on 16 May.
Once formally identified, the options will go forward for a further round of public consultation. The consultation programme to date has included community forums, focus groups with traders, residents, disabled users, town and parish councils and tourism and stakeholder organisations. Feedback has also been available by post and online – and local people will again be encouraged to have their say on the options during May and June ahead of final policy recommendations early in July. A new car parking policy will be adopted by a full meeting of the District Council on 25 July, with implementation set for 1 October this year.
- Initial recommendations following the first phase of consultation include the introduction of a 30-minute charge in town centre car parks and a flat rate £1 charge for evening/overnight parking to promote the night-time economy.
- Also proposed is a machine replacement programme offering car park users the ability to pay for the first time by card or phone as well as cash.
- Derbyshire Dales people will also be able to have their say on the possibility of the introduction of a charge for the residents’ parking permit that is currently posted free to all 33,000 households in the district, enabling them to park free of charge at every District Council car park before 11am and after 4pm every day of the week.
- The permit currently costs the District Council around £2.5-million a year in lost revenue. Other options to be explored include introducing a paid-for second permit for households and charging Blue Badge holders, who currently have free use of the District Council’s car parks. Only one other destination in the six the District Council has used for comparison purposes currently allows Blue Badge holders to park for free.
The Car Parking Review Sub-Committee report and recommendations are available to view online at:
http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/images/documents/C/Committee/Council_Car_Parking_Review_Sub_Committee/20130430_Car_Parking_Review_Sub_Committee_Agenda.pdf
PARWICH.ORG 
Whilst it states that it costs the Council £2.5m a year in lost revenue – what, I wonder will be the loss of revenue to the already hard pressed businesses of Ashbourne when the residents of the Derbyshire Dales lose their free parking passes!!
How can it cost the council £2.5 million a year in lost revenue, when they never had this revenue in the first place. What they really mean is lets screw the hard pressed locals for some more money, and turn Ashbourne into a ghost town, where businsses are already struggling.
Ashbourne Shaw Croft car park charges are a disgrace – £1.90 for two hours. Now, I ask you, who has exactly £1.90 in change on them when they need it? So what do we do? Put in £2.00. Does the Council take in to consideration the ADDED revenue they recieve from all those extra 10p’s? I think not. After 4:00pm (when parking is free to residents) the car parks are empty. What colour is the sky in the world of DDDC?
Parking in Staffordshire £1-40 for three hours in the centre of town and the towns are busy with people, sometimes less is more .