Forums Forums Local News Parking Charges

The Council is planning a load of changes to parking charges.

Many car parks fees are about to double.
Country parks are about to have parking fees.
More streets are going to become pay-and-display in and near shopping areas.

This is a stupid thing to do that can only shut down the Wirral economy.

I've said before that I would prefer to buy an annual parking pass than have all this faffing around.

Of course its all a clever trick by the Government, they reduce the Council funding but its the Council that get the blame not the Government.

I won't pay £5 parking to take my grandchildren to Adventuretime at indoor fair nor to eat out or for cinema.
New Brighton is wonderful and businesses will close and theatre might strugglei if less people attend.

The pensioners who daily walk dogs in Royden Park and other outdoor places cannot afford the parking fees and will become more isolated and less fit.

The local residents will have roads blocked with parking.

I have considered getting the train from Grove Road Station to New Brighton to avoid charges.

The revenue could come from elsewhere. It's not rocket science to budget sensitivity and fairly.

Temporary false number plates might be the answer when you park. Do the traffic wardens do a reg check or just put it down on their machine and slap ticket on windscreen. Perhaps we should all put our "favourite" councillors reg on our car when we park.

These rules are made by people who don't have to scrimp and save and count every penny and who don't live on the breadline.

Be murder if they decide to meter places like west Kirby prom,. More meters need more wardens.

DD. How much would you pay for an annual pass? Sounds a decent idea--I can see a counterfeit permit market opening up.

They do propose to charge to park on Wesy Kirby prom fish, there's a petition on the 38 degrees site if you want to sign it.

We should let these idiots on the council know that they will be voted out as soon as possible. They are depriving people of being able to afford to visit many of the leisure areas in Wirral & they will no doubt employ another gang of traffic wardens at our expense to dish out tickets. I feel sorry for the pensioners who will have to pay this unnecessary & greed-fuelled charge & hope that they will be instrumental in getting rid of these councillors. The next local election will be the first one where I have not voted Labour.

Bob.

Please sign this petition if you disagree with the proposed parking charges.
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio...rge-introduction-in-wirral-country-parks

Signed.

It's crazy. As Pax and others say, all it will do is drive people away. Maybe that's what they are hoping, then they'll sell the parks etc off, saying nobody used them. Nobody is about to pay even a £2 to walk their dog on a daily basis.

DD, when the going was good, councils were spending like there was no tomorrow. They still waste money on unnecessary things like fireworks on the river, and cancelled six community bonfires. Which cost the most ?
The difficulty is that most of the money is going into the care sector anyway, or it would appear to be that way. Why is Abbeyfield getting any when they charge their residents something like £3 thousand a month anyway (or more).

This is just for September 2016, taken at random. See the money against Autism Initiatives on the 6/9/2016 . Not that I'm complaining against Autism , simply the amount of money and wondering how it can possibly be such vast amounts.

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/def...20suppliers/2015-16/September%202016.pdf

£3000 a month sounds a lot, but it isn't totally disproportionate, its roughly the same as what a prisoner costs us. Full board lodgings plus 24/7 care for less than £100 a day (£4.12 an hour).

I'm also amused by the £635million pound "PROFIT" figure for municipal parking - this is not a profit figure its a gross income figure, I've said this before but car parks are not created nor maintained for nothing, they are expensive things.

The councils are having their budgets slashed at a totally inappropriate rate by the Government, never how bad the Council's previous financial integrity has been, there are limits as to how fast you can reduce expenditure and what is happening is going way beyond those limits. They are being forced to sell off or reduce assets that in the long term are going to cost more money, not save money.

Agree it's stupid, but what can you do when you have to finance all sorts of other things that really are necessary like care home places, road maitnenance, schools, various public buildings etc.

The stupidity is centrally sourced in Westminster. You could say it is country wide. We voted them in there!

@Ex I Agree with all you sentiments on the this except ....

I think the cost of installing and maintaining some of these parking meters and the associated administrative costs will result in them making a very small amount of money indeed. Perhaps the "inside plan" is to make a profit out of fines for those that chose not to buy tickets.

There is another danger that if some of these open spaces are then underused they will become assets for the council to sell off. Those sort of decisions are irreversible in the future.

I know its not entirely the Council's fault but while they award themselves above inflation pay rises, fiddle their expenses etc then they rightly don't get a lot of sympathy.

I amazed the Government hasn't ended up in the high court yet over some of the tricks they have pulled.

Well, it's only a matter of time before the meters are replaced by a camera and a notice telling you to pay for your parking by phone. That would be dirt cheap, and all the money handling and policing will be done by computer, much of it on YOUR phone at YOUR expense using YOUR battery. You don't even have to employ traffic wardens, depressing the already deeply depressed Wirral economy even further.

They will probably even charge you for downloading the app. that does the computing.

What do you mean you don't carry a smartphone? If you don't, you can piss off and park somewhere else!

It would be highly Illegal, of course, but I have often chuckled at the idea of entering Sainsbury's car park with false number plates carrying the number of the Queens Rolls, or May's Jaguar. One can imagine the lines humming between Buck house or Downing st and Sainsbury's HQ with accusations and denials hurtling to and fro!

The parking fees in existing car parks is going up as well - by 50p a shot. So if I want to visit my GP in West Kirby, I have to pay 81% more (for one hour) and a trip to the gym will cost 60% more (I always pay for 2 hours, daren't get caught running 5 mins over).

So WBC is spending all this money pushing Invigor8 and Active Wirral, and then charging you more if you use the facilities.

Not only are they are proposing charges for the prom, but also for The Crescent, Banks Road and Grange Road - oh wait, that's where all the shops are doh!

Last time they put up the charges in the Concourse Car park, they insisted they made more money, but we could all see that the car park was half empty - more money for the Council, but less for the shop owners. So WBC reduced the fees - suddenly the car park is full!

In Hoylake they are proposing charging for the big car park by the station in Carr Lane, the little one in Albert Road, Station Road and Market Street. Lordy, that's where the shops are too!

I hope the traffic wardens don't get hit by any of the tumbleweed rolling down our empty streets on this side of Wirral.

Next time there is an election for Council members, I hope the 65% who didn't vote last time make their mark!

Is Leasowe still going to be free, or will that be charged now. How can they do one without the other ?

Heswall car park off Telegraph Road, had the prices put up last time, so it was virtually abandoned. Then they introduced a scheme with a voucher with money off in certain shops , and no charges after 3 pm. The they reduced the prices, then put them up again.
Pain in the neck.
They fail to understand that all it will do is drive the people into the supermarkets more, the small shops will fail and be driven to close and everywhere will end up looking like Birkenhead. Shutters, and shit.

Here's the link to which car parks / roads will be affected. Leasowe seems to have escaped.

Those affected are West Kirby, Hoylake, Heswall, Liscard, Bromborough, Bebington, Irby, Upton and Moreton

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/1...nd_as_pay_and_display_blitz_hits_Wirral/

Couple of the school crossings i do are in areas you cant park without paying.so they are expecting me to pay twice daily which is approx a third of what they pay me.

That sounds outrageous fish , any mileage in complaining , considering its an essential job you're doing. Cant you park in the school carpark or anything like the teachers and caretakers?

I got done on one for parking in a residents only parking place Rullerton Road Mill Lane but did get the ticket rescinded. For that crossing I don't even know where the school is. Not been on it for few years but would now park in Victoria Hospital as I know its free parking. Otherwise its pay at cherry tree parking.

I'm quite sure there must be a system in place to issue you with a free parking badge. Phone them and ask.
Very strange that once again the parking facilities outside Wallasey Town Hall for council staff, seems to have escaped !
Not only the Town Hall Staff, but those who work in the North and South annex's too. I assume they are still there ? That could bring in a lot of revenue

Petitions :

https://www.change.org/p/phil-davie...ignature_receipt&recruiter=597168122

New Brighton

https://www.change.org/p/councillor...dium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Must be for Park Primary which is behind VCH.

Thanks for posting - lets hope tons of people sign!

The council are having a meeting at Wallasey town hall on Tuesday evening at 6pm to discuss the proposal it is open to the public,please try and get there to let them know it should't be happening

Thanks for that Lizzie. Did anyone get there ?

lot in the Globe about it this week. Even talking about metering a leafy part of Irby village or double yellow lining it to force people into the mini car park at £4 a day. Will just push people down the side roads unless they are thinking of hundreds of resident only parking signs...no thanks. I would have thought there needed to be some legal justification to start double yellow lining roads and streets that never had them before just to force people into car parks.
Civil disobedience.. torching meters or super glueing the coin slot is a tadge beyond my anarchy but making hoods/ banners that read out of order might be ok. If you see one with a hood on it saying out of order just take a timed dated picture on your phone for evidence in case you later get ticketed.

Irby village seems ridiculous. There simply are NOT enough parking places or anything near for those who use the local shops, dentist, library etc. No doubt, someone sitting in head office, making assessments via their own calculations via the internet .

A bit like the time they wanted to send Aldi distribution vehicles from Neston through the dip at Barnston to the M53.

The person involved was based in Ellesmere port and didn't even know it was a 30mph limit and the dip only had single white lines down the centre of the road, because it is too narrow to have double white lines. He'd obviously never visited the area.

Another set of Trumps !

I certainly wish they would impose a residents only scheme in our road. I live on Thingwall corner in the flats and the amount of people who park here to catch the bus is so frustrating. We have limited parking as it is and have a number of disabled who struggle to find parking on a daily basis. Our on vehicle has a sign in the back window asking people to not park within 8 feet of the rear due to a ramp but no one pays any attention and parks nose to tail. It also causes rows between residents for example I had to park a little further up the road and a note was left on my car stating I should park outside my own flat.
I understand people can park where they like legally but I feel like it's very selfish considering the amount of park and ride schemes available. I feel like following people home sometimes and leaving my vehicle outside their house.

You ought to live in the mad world where I live, I got told not to park outside my house and that I should park illegally, police got involved and suggested the same??? - then two of my tyres were slashed.

Kitty kat...I will have words with my wife who parks there between 8 and 4:30 3 days a week to catch a college bus. Always seems plenty of places to park then so I presume locals gone to work. She usually parks close to Barnston Road away from the flats. I suppose she feels its safer than parking at top of landican lane. Get council to put some disabled parking markings on road.
But do you ever park outside someone elses home.? Got no problem people parking outside mine but do hate it when the leave huge muddy ruts in the grass verge.

Commiserations DD sounds like you got some nice neighbours

Wow DD that's outrageous! Perhaps if there is a next time ask the police to put in writing this special dispensation you would have to park illegally just in case you get a ticket and see what they say.

Fish I appreciate that (although I'm not sure we can blame it all on her .

Sometimes there does look like there are lots of spaces but a lot of us work different shift patterns and rotating patterns etc and when we do all converge home it can be a nightmare. Not to mention the blocking in and damage done to vehicles.

Each block on this road has 3 spaces in a "run in" and we have a disabled bay in ours but it's first come first served and if anyone is in the other 2 spaces you can't get into the bay without going over the grass and kerb which isn't ideal if there is a wheelchair user in.

In addition to the "bus parkers" we also have the "collection" parkers who not only block the road but the pavement too as they park on that whilst waiting for their passengers to get off the buses.

I'm not sure on the college buses but regular buses come through Thingwall road east and there is a huge layby there and I can't quite fathom why people don't park there.

I've really got my moaning head on now haven't I haha.

Hi Kitty. oh dear Guilty as charged! I do the collection of kids when the 471 hasn't turned up for irby and they have to get the 472 but this is usually about 6:45. I usually try and time it so I just pull up at the bus stop. Odd occasion I park there for a minute or 2 but never on pavement.
Flats were built when we couldn't afford cars now its the other way round we can just run a car but not afford mortgage rent.

Not sure if anyone would be interested, but there's an excellent video of a recent council meeting about the charges, chaired by councillor mike sullivan, he states at the beginning of the meeting that it's 'a private meeting held in public'

@ approx. 40 mins. Mike Sullivan doing the scare tactics used by the Remainers during Brexit. It's another move towards excuses for combining all of the Liverpool City Region into a greater force by 2020. Goodbye WMBC and hello Liverpool 'higher council tax, tunnel fees, parking charges, bus fares, train fares, business rates and so on'. However, that's just my opinion.

Couldn't understand a word of what the lady said about the Liverpool City Region. To fast, unclear, and accent, made it virtually impossible to decipher one word against the next. Sorry.

The introduction of parking charges and areas pinpointed would seem to indicate that the more affluent areas are the ones being targeted, and mainly the areas that have a lot of Pensioners shopping areas, where they pick up their prescription from the chemists shop, and as we've been encouraged to go to our local chemists now, for advice when we don't feel well, we will go back to the GP's instead. The whole thing has not been thought through on a rational basis. So whilst the workers are out all day earning their bread and butter, the Pensioners will be raising the income towards the short fall of the Council.
Is this the reason that small branches of supermarkets are appearing on every corner in Wirral and the reason the planning is approved, in an attempt to get rid of the small private shops. Alas, we still need hairdressers and opticians, and dry cleaners, and post offices,(atm). The florist for funerals, the funeral directors. All these businesses are ongoing and in local shopping areas. We need to defend them !

How about charging for Council Employees car parking at Wallasey ....why not ????? They probably earn more than anyone in this day and age in this area. How about parking charges at all of the council recreation centres ?

Thanks for the video Jeffrey. Although it was impossible to understand some of it, with vibes off mikes and the accent, a second viewing later might help .

You're very welcome

Excellent points you make! Getting rid of some of the local councillors would be welcomed by many i'm sure as a way to save money, 66 for the Wirral seems excessive to me.

Has anyone else watched this video, or are they not really interested ?

According to Mike Sullivan, these are only proposals and he has no idea how the information had got out.

Then at the end of the meeting, a lady in the audience asked, "if these are only proposals, how is it that notices have gone up in Arrowe Park" ?

So the committee look puzzled and leader of the council shakes his head as if 'that's not happened'.

Mike Sullivan throws in the amount of money they have lost and will lose before 2020, which could mean cuts in services, or having to pay for services, or the end of services and of course the ever old threat, 'social workers could lose their jobs'. That's a real little vote catcher isn't it ?

To say these things, they must have knowledge and plans in place beforehand, to throw out at election times. I ask, why is everything being directed, discussed, and blamed for 2020.
It crops up everywhere including major changes within the EU.

As Jeremy says 66 councillors , could some lose their jobs too, why do we need them ?

How about selling Birkenhead Town hall, and some of the now, unnecessary council buildings.

Can we compile a list for them ?

I've only watched the parts that deal with the parking proposals, you need to wear earphones though as the sound is bad in parts. For those who didn't attend it is worth watching, I thought the Conservative councillors spoke a lot of sense and spoke of the damage it will do to the areas proposed, especially Bromborough which will be devestated, Mike Sullivan accused the Tories more than once of playing to the gallery, very unprofessional in my opinion, this isn't about politics it's about the people of Wirral and their livelihoods. I think Labour want this and they'll do all they can to push it through. One thing's for sure though, as a life long Labour voter, i'll never vote for them again after this.

Gave up listening after a minute...would have slit my wrists having to listen to 44 minutes of it. Thanks to you who suffered on my behalf and summarised it.

My bets would be that the conscientious ones would be first to go, otherwise I would happily agree with half that number.

Out of interest, how much does a councillor earn?

we take this from 2014,,,, quite a lot !

http://johnbrace.com/2014/08/19/the...plus-amounts-for-the-mayor-deputy-mayor/

The 2015-2016 figures for each councillor are HERE

As mentioned on previous link, this doesn't include "external" committee allowances such as Merseyside Authorities (Fire etc)

Brilliant, many thanks