CAR parking throughout the former Bridgnorth district is under scrutiny from Shropshire Council in a move which could have a major impact on motorists, businesses and residents.
The aim is to draw up a new countywide strategy for parking - for example how priority may be given to different car park users and how it can be controlled through a combination of pricing, permitted free stays and enforcement.
The report, which was presented to the Shropshire Council development services scrutiny committee last week, claims that while the supply of car parking is adequate, there is a perceived shortage of on-street parking in the centres of the bigger towns.
The review is being carried out because the new county authority has taken over car parks previously operated by the district councils, including Bridgnorth. Charges across the county swelled council coffers by £4.2 million last year, including £632,287 from the 956 spaces in Bridgnorth and £62,785 from the 74 paid-for places in Much Wenlock.
However, motorists don’t have to pay to use the car parks in Broseley or Shifnal. The report says that there are also big differences in charges across the county-ranging from 70p to £7.50 for all day parking.
Other differences include the provision of on-street parking - currently free in Bridgnorth but charged for in Shrewsbury and Ludlow.
The report says that centrally located, on-street parking spaces can command a premium price. In smaller towns with a rural catchment area such parking provision services a different purpose, as a convenient quick stop for small amounts of goods, which is important to local shopkeepers.
Other parts of the strategy to be decided are the priorities for different types of car park users: for example shoppers, tourists or commuters, and supporting alternatives such as ‘park and ride’, the provision of pedestrian priority in town centres and the protection of residential streets from commuter parking.
A draft strategy on car parking is expected to go before Shropshire Council next April.