Agenda item

Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Mr Adrian Campbell to the meeting, who had indicated he had a question/statement he wished to pose to the Committee.

 

Mr Campbell addressed the Committee and made the following statement: -

 

“I am here as Vice Chairman of Market Rasen Action Group which has 1,200 followers at present and I am also part of a new Acting Town Team which has just formed and intends to constitute an official group which it hopes will be a sub-committee of the Town Council.

 

This is the first opportunity that a group representing Market Rasen town centre businesses has had to contribute to the car park charges issue.

 

What I am about to report and ask is unanimously supported by all the businesses we have been able to canvass opinion from.

 

If there is a lesson to be learned here it is that Consultants probably tell you what you wanted to hear. The forecast that the income would be £50,000 with £31,000 costs with £19,000 profit must have been attractive.

 

To learn that in reality it is costing £43,000 to operate Market Rasen's car parks but only bringing in £27,000.and seeing that even with the nearly 300% permit price rise that is being proposed, the car parks will STILL make a loss....

 

The business community in Market Rasen unanimously asks that a Member puts to this committee an alternative proposal as follows

 

Suspend the car park charging by meter for 12 months

 

Save most of the £43,000 reported running cost

 

Keep the permit scheme with prices where they are now (to bring some income and stop clogging)

 

Monitor footfall using the equipment already installed and revisit the issue in 12 months.

 

It has been reported to you that the majority of respondents in the consultation chose to see permit prices increased but the only choices before them were price increases.

 

If the general public had been told the extent of the losses and that they would still be making a loss after a huge permit price rise then most would agree with the businesses. Suspend meter operations and save the best part of £43,000.

 

Thank you”

 

The Chairman thanked Mr Campbell for his statement and invited him to remain present for the debate later in the evening.

 

The Chairman then welcomed Councillor Steven Bunney, Deputy Mayor of Market Rasen Town Council to the meeting, who had indicated he had a statement he wished to make to the Committee.

 

CouncillorBunney addressed the Committee and made the following statement: -

 

“I have spoken to Prosperous Communities committee before regarding the willingness of the Town Council and I believe its community to move forward in putting together a wider plan, than has perhaps been involved in the past. I am pleased to thank you for your support in the past but I am pleased to also say we are now starting to work together, including with Local businesses, as stated by Mr Campbell in order that they can put forward their views. The Group, referred to by Mr Campbell, we are looking forward to getting that up and running in the town initially and hopefully extended in the future to look at the wider overall planning of the town.

 

One thing that has come through is the car parking charges, and whilst this is only a small element of what we want to look at and do, it is however an important element for the town.  

 

The move to having free time for the first two hours visitors came as opposed to free time after 3.00pm certainly benefited the businesses with the town.  And we as a Council wish to stress that we are clear that the free parking that has been provided by the system has benefited the community. It has not solved all the problems for the shops, unfortunately, there’s a lot more work to be done on that, but we would be very upset and feel any move to get rid of free car parking would be of detriment to the Town, as it is run.  We would urge that as much free car parking as possible, as we can get is what we would like to see in the Town.  We support local businesses, we support local residents in that.  That is my message tonight.  We could go through the figures but we have done that.  In summary we support the move for free parking and its continuation and the more we can get the better.”

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Bunney for his statement and invited him to remain present for the debate later in the evening.