Quids in - Parkers paying a high price (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Quids in - Parkers paying a high price

Parking in SwindonMOTORISTS in Swindon paid £6.4 million in parking charges last year nearly double what they paid six years ago.

Figures seen by the Advertiser show that visitors to the town centre are paying more in car parking fees and penalty fines than ever before.

Senior councillors dispute the accuracy of the figures but accept that under-funding from central government has mean that car parking charges have had to rise.

In 2003-4, hard-pressed motorists paid £6.40 million in charges that's compared to £3.74 million in 1997-8.

Motorists in North Wiltshire are also being given a raw deal.

Parking revenue there has jumped from £355,000 in 1997-8 to £632,000 in 2003-4.

The rising charges have been condemned as outrageous by the Liberal Democrats who uncovered the Government figures. Coun Mike Evemy (Lib Dem, Eastcott) said: "Everyone has noticed car parking charges going up significantly over the past six years.

"Not long ago we were paying 60p-an-hour in some of the most sought-after car parks. Now it's £1.10 an hour.

"It's down to under-funding from this Government.

"People have found recent council tax rises unpalatable so the council has had to look at other option to raise revenue car parking being one of them."

Richard Freeman, spokesman for Swindon Council, said: "This council benchmarks its car park charges against six other towns and cities including Gloucester and Oxford and our figures compare favourably with all of them.

"In 1997-8, total income from parking was £4.28million, with a surplus after operating costs of £2.47 million.

"In 2003-4 total income was £6.26 million, with a surplus of £3.45 million. The surplus is spent on services which benefit all Swindon residents."

Motorist Andrew Burtenshaw, 50, of Henley Drive, Highworth, wants action.

He said: "People visiting Swindon town centre have to use the expensive car parks there's no choice.

"You can no longer risk parking illegally in the street."

On a national level, the Lib Dems claim increases are punishing motorists and not tackling the core issue congestion.

Nationally whistleblowers have exposed how attendants are under pressure to ticket as many vehicles as possible for illegal parking and receive warnings if they fail to hit targets.

One of the largest regional increases in parking revenue has been in Gloucester.

Parking charges there increased from £719,000 to £3.2m since 1997 an increase of 344 per cent.

Mark Hookham & Kevin Shoesmith