Council pressing ahead with on-street parking charges despite objections

ON-STREET parking charges will be imposed on Lymington High Street later this year despite ongoing opposition from local businesses and councillors – with New Milton, Barton and Ringwood set to follow.

Hampshire County Council’s highways chief, Cllr Rob Humby, publicly announced that he will be pressing ahead with the plans, which include hiking the cost of residential parking permits to £50 next year.

The schemes will come in after devolved responsibility for traffic management returns in April to HCC from New Forest District Council, which refused new terms requiring it to break even on administration costs.

The on-street pay-and-display systems will end the current one hour’s free parking and replace it with 30 minutes free plus up to two hours chargeable, enforced by national company NSL.

Separate residential parking schemes will switch permits from paper to digtal, Cllr Humby said, rising costs for 17 streets across Brockenhurst, Hythe, Lymington, Lyndhurst, Ringwood and Totton.

From 1st April when existing permits run out they will cost £40 to renew, rising to £50 from April next year. An HCC spokesperson said that would “better reflect the costs of operating the scheme”.

Lymington has the most residential schemes with six in Belmore Lane, East Hill, Gosport Street, North Close, Southampton Road, and Station Street.

HCC also has plans to pilot a number of on-street electric vehicle power points to help meet increasing demand for electric vehicles – although no locations have yet been confirmed.

Cllr Humby made his announcement having been invited by the town council to a public meeting in Lymington to address residents on the parking issue. NFDC’s business chief, Cllr Michael Harris, has written asking him to re-think the plans.

Neil Welker, who runs Elliotts of Lymington on High Street, was critical of HCC pressing ahead with on-street parking charges against objections from the town council, NFDC, the Lymington Chamber of Commerce and the Lymington Society.

Mr Welker said: “It seems to me that on the one hand they are prepared to listen and have further dialogue and this public meeting is still going ahead. Yet on the other hand they are just turning round and saying regardless of public opinion we are going ahead anyway.”

Charging drivers but with one hour’s free parking would be the “lesser of two evils”, he said, adding: “The retention of one hour is absolutely vital.”

Traffic management responsibility is also being handed back to HCC by councils in Gosport and Fareham. It does not affect NFDC car parks or temporary road closures for public events which will stay under its control.

Cllr Humby, HCC’s Conservative cabinet member for economy, transport and environment, said: “A well-managed on-street parking service plays an important part in keeping our roads safe and our towns and villages moving.

“However, where there is managed parking on the highway, there is a cost involved, and I’m afraid it’s simply not sustainable for resources meant for highways maintenance across the county to be used to subsidise parking for some at the expense of all Hampshire council taxpayers.”

He added: “Well managed parking can have a positive impact on the local economy, cut congestion and in turn improve air quality.”

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