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Car park changes ‘hitting shoppers’

12:10pm Thursday 9th September 2010 in


COUNCIL staff are taking over a shoppers car park and paying a fraction of the daily cost to park there.

Independent shop owners in the town centre are outraged that New Town House staff are taking over the first two floors of Warrington Market’s multi-storey car park on Academy Way and paying only 60p a day instead of the usual £5.70 for anyone using the car park for more than four hours.

Traders say shoppers have been turned away from the cara park in the last week because it is full.

Michael Hancock, from Hancock and Wood, in Bridge Street, said: “It’s a shoppers car park not a local government workers’ car park. We are not looking after customers – we need to be pulling people into the town.

“With a shoppers’ car park, the shopper should come first and staff should have to manage.

“In business we do not say the staff come first before customers.”

Mr Hancock said he had asked council bosses who the essential users were but had yet to receive an answer.

He added: “I do not accept that they are essential users. The first two levels are full at 8.30am and for most of the day.

“The staff already have a perfectly good car park beside the Town Hall.”

Traders say the the first two levels are favoured by visitors and Mr Hancock added: “Customers are gobsmacked about this. The car park is supposed to be a short-stay car park.”

Warrington Borough Council says it undertook a study of the car park in July and there were an average of 150 empty spaces left in the car park.

David Boyer, the assistant director of transport and engineering, said staff using the car park were essential car-users who used their vehicles regularly throughout the day.

He said : “Staff parking is currently under review, so the number parking at the market is likely to change soon, as is the price they pay.”

Comments(13)

Coldstreamer says...
1:47pm Thu 9 Sep 10

Now theres myself sat here thinking WBC has become a new forward thinking local government!!! ... this just takes the "Mick" none tax productive workers given presidence over tax productive traders & potential customers .... if the survey had been conducted in july surely the final top two levels of the multi-story would of been found to have 150 spare places ?? ... why the first two Layers? .... WBC should be encouraging their staff to use Public transport if parking has become such an issue .... many Private sector traders / visitors and customers pay the full "whack" per day whom work or visit the town centre .... Public sector privilages "annoy" joe public .... so think on WBC.

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richiepooh says...
2:06pm Thu 9 Sep 10

Its not the use of the car park that gets me, its the fact they do it at great subsidy. 60p for a whole day.
yet more thieving from WBC. do they not think that other town workers who pay the full amount feel ripped off. that's £30 a week they pay (something you feel your exempt from), £1500 a year and then they pay tax, which pays your wages. Try giving WBC staff a £1500 a year pay cut see how it feels.

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widnes viking says...
2:10pm Thu 9 Sep 10

it's all free in Halton

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jdow says...
2:54pm Thu 9 Sep 10

I agree with all the above i dont drive but i use buses and i pay the full fare why should they get away with it. if they use buse would they pay or is it free for wbc workers. i know wonder our poll tax is high. very angree and annoyed

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jdow says...
2:54pm Thu 9 Sep 10

I agree with all the above i dont drive but i use buses and i pay the full fare why should they get away with it. if they use buse would they pay or is it free for wbc workers. i know wonder our poll tax is high. very angree and annoyed

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pognoogle says...
4:31pm Thu 9 Sep 10

What a joke? I use the bus so the parking doesn't really concern me, but I agree that WBC should have to pay the full amount or use the buses. Especially if they have a car park next to where they work! And council staff get £10 off bus passes. WBC obviously just takes the p*** because it can!

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Mr Young says...
5:05pm Thu 9 Sep 10

I work for WBC… we pay £13 to park our cars, there are three car parks that we can use but don’t have a choice of which we are allocated. The market, dallam lane (near Halliwell Jones) and somewhere on the otherside of bridge foot near St James' church.

Lots of us have received £1500 deduction this year already from the job evaluation. We get 25% off bus passes if we buy a monthly ticket, we get no discount on day to day tickets.

There are 9000 employees of the council, we don’t have a 9000 space car park so have to make use of whatever we are given. Im guessing gemini and riverside workers get free parking… don’t see any complaints about that???

The car park would have been busy the last few weeks with school holidays, I bet if you go there this week it will be empty again like normal.

Rant over...

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pognoogle says...
11:30pm Thu 9 Sep 10

the reason gemini and riverside staff get free parking is because its free parking anyway. i think that people are unhappy with this situation because anybody else has to pay full whack. staff who work at the market/highstreet/ma
ll have to pay to park in their relative carparks so why should WBC staff park for free? i have to budget for my bus pass each month so i don't see why WBC staff can't budget for their parking costs. or use the 25% discount making a pass just £30 a month! its greener, more cost effective and the service is sufficient..... so WBC tell me.......

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richiepooh says...
11:49am Fri 10 Sep 10

Mr Young.. Is that £13 per month? you do have a choice, you could use any at full price £6 PER DAY ..you choice is you do not instead you ride the gravy train.
If you have recieved a £1500 pay cut from a job evaluation this mearly points out that the value of your job has been overpaid by £1500 for too long.
Do I get a 25% discount on bus passes..does jo blogs..no What the hell are you bleating on about like its insufficient, what entitles council workers to ANYTHING AT ALL ? other than a greed system. there may well be 9000 coucil workers what the hell has that to do with parking spaces, its not an entitlement for anyone let alone the likes of you lot. theres 122,000 people employed warringtonians..do they all get a parking space too?
Gemini & riverside?? Free parking is offered to all in those areas what the hell are you on about?
and Like I said earlier its not the space availabilty its the special treatment, after all you are just a worker why do you get any special treatment at all.
you have the gaul to come in and bleat that your special treatment and discounts is not much...to those who get none..get a grip!

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Mr Young says...
12:35pm Fri 10 Sep 10

How many people use the market car park for shopping during the day? Not many, most use cockhedge or golden square because they are easier to access shops. The council have used the market car park for years and I cant remember any other complaints, maybe I'm wrong?

Some retailers offer staff discounts etc… the council offer cheaper parking. I don’t make the decision and I don’t even park on the car parkss, just giving you a few fact for the readers.

If the council built a multi-story for their employees, im sure people would complain. If employees paid the full £6 a day or whatever… the car park would still be in use on the first 2 levels? The problem would still be there.

122,000 working people in warrington? How many of these work in the town centre compaired to how many work on retail parks and industrial parks? Anyone who gets offered discounted parking would take it im sure.

What entitles council workers to anything at all? Nobody is entitled to anything, some people have perks like discounts… we are offered discounted parking, and this isnt a quote, but the people who park on the market, might be essential car users, so they are in and out all day long, possibly the reason why they park close to town for one fee, if they had to purchase a ticket each time they made visits, it would cost a lot more. But I'm just a worker… who doesn’t use the car park, just adding a different side to the comments

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gdutton says...
1:51pm Fri 10 Sep 10

I am one of the essential car users that uses the carpark and think this point needs making.
All essential car users are required to provide their cars for business use on behalf of the Council.As already mentioned this requires us to go in and out of the office throughout the working day.
The Market carpark is Council owned and is the closest most convenient carpark. I am sure that there would be a public outcry if we had to waste most of our working day walking to our cars that are parked on the otherside of town?

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jdow says...
3:09pm Fri 10 Sep 10

the point is why should you not pay the full price like every one else or go to work on the bus or a bike oe even walk i bet most of the council staff live local. i walk to town from woolston it take half an hour

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D Daniel says...
3:12pm Fri 10 Sep 10

In response to RitchiePooh,
I think you have missed the point on what an essential car user is.

Not everyone has a choice. I would rather walk to work and avoid the carparking charges altogether however as an essential user I am required to provide my car for work and am forced to pay any parking charges.
I suppose you would think its right for a district nurse to pay to park at the hospital in between patient visit?

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