Shoppers desert York over high car parking charges

But exclusive Evening Press figures show that since charges were increased at York's short stay car parks this empty picture is being repeated across the city.

Since the price rise on April 1, thousands of motorists have shunned the short-stay car parks, and the situation is worse at "standard stay" car parks where prices were frozen. In total takings from the city facilities are £33,000 down compared with April and May last year.

Trade unionist Brian Anderson, supporter of the Evening Press Stop The Highway Robbery campaign, said: "People are voting with their feet."

Motorists vote with their wheels and give York's pricey car parks a miss

THOUSANDS of motorists have deserted York's car parks since charges were hiked, new figures indicated today.

The 20 per cent jump in fees from £1.60 to £2 an hour - imposed at three short-stay car parks on April 1 - was meant to rake in more money for cash-strapped City of York Council.

But revenue figures for April and May, obtained by the Evening Press, show that income was almost £13,000 lower than for the same period last year.

Motorists forked out £336,947 on tickets at Piccadilly, Castle and Bootham Row, compared with £349,502 in April and May of 2004. A similar picture emerged at the city's other "standard" car parks, where fees were frozen. Income there fell by another £30,000 in the same period, from £559,310 to £529,512.

The council was unable to give the total number of motorists using the car parks during the two months, but the figures equate to thousands of drivers having gone elsewhere.

A council spokeswoman claimed today that the revenue fall could be explained at least partly by factors such as lower evening charges, the way that Easter fell in March and the opening of the Monks Cross Park & Ride service last summer.

But trades unionist Brian Anderson, one of the supporters of the Evening Press Stop the Highway Robbery campaign against ever higher charges, claimed: "People are voting with their feet. My office looks out on Nunnery Lane car park and I've never seen it so empty."

Parking income has soared by a staggering 80 per cent in York in only six years to £6.74 million last year, helping to keep council tax rises down, but Mr Anderson warned that the authority may not in future be able to rely on further revenue increases.

Graham Audus, boss of the Supersave in Fossgate, said: "It may be that certain people are not coming to York, and that one of the reasons is parking charges."

He called for special measures to encourage people to park, for example concessionary rates on quiet trading days such as Wednesdays.

David Cox, of Miniature Scene, in Fossgate, said: "The council has admitted there is a ceiling on charges, beyond which motorists are not prepared to pay." He said it was essential charges did not rise any further.

The figures for short-stay car parks equate to at least 2,166 fewer people using the car parks since charges were increased - and that is based on every user paying the maximum of £6 for a three-hour stay.

For "standard stay" users - where the maximum tariff is £10 - the figures equate to at least 3,000 fewer users in two months.

In both cases, if users did not stay for the maximum amount of time, the number of people deserting the car parks in the city is more.

However, Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said two months was not long enough to come to any firm conclusions.

He added that there might be positive implications from a parking reduction, if people were coming in to the city centre by alternative methods, such as Park & Ride.

The Evening Press asked for the April/May figures at the suggestion of reader Alan Dixon, of Copmanthorpe, who wrote to the paper to say he had parked in the Piccadilly car park one morning and observed only 26 vehicles on the top floor, when only a couple of years ago motorists frequently had to queue to get in the car park.

He said today he was convinced that high charges were acting as a deterrent for some motorists.

But a council spokeswoman said of the figures: "It is not comparing like with like."

She said several factors could help to explain the drop in income.

Firstly, Easter, which always generated a large amount of income, was in March this year while it fell in April last year.

"We would have anticipated a reduction given that we earn more income during school holidays," she said.

Secondly, hourly evening parking fees which were in force last year had been replaced by lower evening payments of £2, or £1 for residents with a Minster badge. The new Monks Cross Park & Ride service had also been launched last summer.

Site shows only 11 cars are parked at 9am

ONLY 11 vehicles were parked in the 290-space Piccadilly car park at 9am today, according to the council's website.

It was a similar story at the Castle car park, near Clifford's Tower, where a mere 20 spaces out of 305 were occupied.

Usage was only marginally greater at Foss Bank, where 40 out of 338 spaces were taken, the 230-space Union Terrace car park, where 25 cars were parked and the Shambles multi-storey, where 20 out of 275 spaces were occupied.

Esplanade car park was the only one more than half full at 9am, with 65 spaces out of 119 taken.

Council leader reacts to the latest statistics

CITY of Council leader Steve Galloway today gave his reaction to the new parking figures.

"We feel that the more misleading publicity that is given to allegedly high parking charges, then the less likely it is that motorists will visit the city centre.

"It is a reputational risk that increasing numbers of traders recognise.

"Encouragingly, use of Park & Ride and conventional bus services continues to rise.

"Adding car park use figures to the latest for Park & Ride, bus, cycle and walking, more people are visiting the city centre overall than last year. Ninety per cent of car parking charges in the city were frozen this year -- the first real terms reduction in charges for over ten years.

"Two months is too short a time to make meaningful year-on-year income comparisons.

"We accepted that the substantial reduction in evening charges, introduced in the autumn, would have an effect on the council's income and, therefore, any decline would not be a surprise.

"We gave residents the option of paying lower parking charges (and higher council tax) during the tax poll consultation last December.

"The majority rejected the idea. In any event, central government now "caps" council tax levels so we don't have the option of transferring the burden from parking charges.

"It is not practical at present to vary charges on a daily basis because the internal computer chips - in the ticket machines - would have to be changed manually each day as would the signage.

"We are moving forward with plans to market our car parks - and the discounts that are available to Minster badge and Frequent User pass holders - more effectively.

"We hope to introduce, for example, more flexible payment options, including the use of charge cards, later in the year.

"Constructive discussions, with representatives of the retail community, about how we can enhance the prosperity of the city centre are continuing".

NATALIE THOMAS spoke to residents of York to find out how the controversial parking charges affect them.

MARY Elliot, 49, who travelled into the city by car from Acomb, said: "I don't come into the city for months at a time because of the parking charges. Having a York Badge helps, but parking is still just too expensive and I think it's terrible that you have to pay after 6pm. I came in more in the 1970s!"

CLAIRE Preston, 22, who cycled in from The Groves, said: "My friend has to pay £100 just to park by her own front door; if she has guests to stay it costs her a fortune. I don't think it's right that she pays council tax and then has to buy a parking permit on top of that. Residents should get cheaper access to the city."

TERRY "sausage man" Cockerill, "still in his 30s", who drove in from Acomb, said: "The charges deter me from using the city centre, especially at night. They don't affect my business but many of my friends who rely on night trade tell me they have suffered. If someone wants to have a meal at night they are more likely to look outside the city now."

JAMES Taylor, 33, who had driven in from Nunthorpe Crescent, said: "I think it is disgustingly expensive to park in York. Jane and I normally walk into the centre, but we have a four-month-old baby and it is often not convenient, especially in bad weather. If we want to pop into town for something it costs us £4 minimum. In Scarborough it's only £1 an hour to park in the centre."

JOANNE Anderson, 30, who drove in from Appletree Village, said: "I work in a bar on an evening so I don't have to pay for child-care and I used to be able to park on the single yellow lines. They changed the rules without any warning and I ended up with a parking ticket. Now I have the option of parking on the other side of town, which would mean I was walking across town late at night on my own, or ordering a taxi. I think the charges have really affected businesses in town"

BEN Orton, 21, who drove in from Stamford Bridge, said: "It's extortionate! Accessibility to the city is becoming more and more limited. The parking prices in York have doubled in the last three years, although I am glad that the prices have dropped slightly after 6pm. I work at Clifton Moor and am often told by customers that they didn't go into York because it was too expensive to park."

Updated: 10:42 Tuesday, June 28, 2005