PUTTING up the price of parking in Newtown will make an estimated extra £31,000 a year for Powys County Council a councillor has said.
The information has been revealed under Powys County Council’s questions at any time process.
Last month, Powys county councillor for Newtown West, Peter Lewington submitted a number of questions based on the car parking rises which came into force all across Powys on April 1.
Some councillors fear that putting the car parking charges up will put people off coming to shop in Powys towns.
The price hike was part of cuts/savings and income generation proposals put forward by the council highways, transport and recycling (HTR) department worth £50,000 for Powys County Council’s 2023/2024 budget.
The cost of parking in short stay car parks will rise from £1 for the first hour, to £1.40 and from £2 to £2.50 to park for up to two hours.
The cost of parking in long stay mixed car parks will rise from £1 for the first hour to £2.50 and from £2 to £2.50 for two hours.
It is one of many ideas that council chiefs came up with to try and bridge a funding gap of £16.4 million this year and was agreed by a majority of Powys councillors at a meeting on Thursday, February 23 which set the budget.
Conservative Cllr Lewington said: “Could the cabinet member please tell me how much revenue the county council receives from the Gravel and Back Lane car parks in Newtown?
“How much this revenue is forecast to increase by following the proposed astronomical increases in short stay parking charges?”
Cllr Lewington also asks for an explanation on how the prediction of extra revenue is calculated.
Finance portfolio holder, Labour’s Cllr David Thomas explained that the income for the Gravel car park also includes the fees paid at Gas Street car park.
Cllr Thomas said “For the two car parks in question, we estimate annual income to increase by approximately £31,000.
“Forecasts were made based on the assumption some short stay users will migrate to other options such as walking/cycling or finding alternative parking.
“Any assumptions at this stage are only estimates and the actual impact of the charges will be unknown.
“It is hoped that by not increasing the all day tariff and the up to four hours tariff only slightly increasing, then we may encourage people to visit towns for longer.”
Newtown car parks income was:
2019/2020
Back Lane – £153,096.40 – Gravel/Gas street – £76,640.49
Total is £229,736.89.
2020/2021
Back Lane – £58,666.53 – Gravel/Gas street – £31,027.25
Total is £89,693.78.
2021/2022
Back Lane – £135,817.15 – Gravel/Gas street – £74,504.41
Total is £210,321.56.
2022/2023 (to March)
Back Lane – £144,579.55 – Gravel/Gas street – £64,435.60
Total is £209,015.15.
