Lymington county councillor Barry Dunning says Hampshire County Council consultation is a "fait accompli" and High Street parking charges are coming

LYMINGTON has to accept High Street parking charges will be imposed, its county councillor has said – warning Ringwood and New Milton could be next.

A public consultation was launched by Hampshire County Council this week into charging motorists £1 to park for an hour, £2 for two hours or 20 minutes free.

When the plan for meters was first put forward, it was strongly opposed by traders who feared losing the existing hour’s free parking could hit footfall.

It was shelved when the pandemic hit, but is now back again – and has been dubbed a “fait accompli” by local Conservative member Cllr Barry Dunning.

“We have to accept that,” Cllr Dunning told the A&T. “We did what we could to stop it but it has been proposed and all of the legal notices that have to be put up have been – and it looks like it will happen in April, May or June.

“All I see is that it’s just adding stress when people get to the High Street. We do not have a problem with parking in Lymington – and I see it for HCC as being an extra revenue stream.

“By the way, it is also going to be rolled out into other places by HCC – probably Ringwood next and then New Milton and likely through the whole Forest.”

Cllr Dunning added: “Obviously we did not want it. Lymington and Pennington Town Council did not want it. The Lymington Society did not want it. Traders did not want it and the majority of people in Lymington did not want it.

“But parking has to be paid for by someone and that happens to be HCC and they have decided it will happen.

“That’s the story I have been given by the portfolio holder for highways operations, Cllr Russell Oppenheimer.”

HCC took back responsibility for traffic management from New Forest District Council in 2019 and has defended the charges as “modest”.

It said the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions has created more demand for town centre parking and that pay-and-display schemes are “becoming the norm” across the UK.

Clhe A&T, Cllr Oppenheimer agreed in June last year to develop on-street pay and display parking in a number of towns and other non-retail areas in the county, including sea-front locations and areas popular with visitors – such as Lymington.

But that sparked fury among Lymington town councillors, The Lymington Society and a number of traders – including Neil Welker, director of Elliott’s. They claim the policy will damage local businesses just as they try to recover in the wake of the crippling coronavirus pandemic.

Tory cabinet member Cllr Oppenheimer told the A&T: “Prior to Christmas I met with Lymington town councillors to brief them on the proposal to introduce a charge on the High Street where it is currently free but limited to one hour.

“Under our proposal there will be a 20-minute free period with the option to pay for up to two hours of parking.

“The aim of this move is to better manage demand for parking on the High Street – increasing the turnover of spaces by encouraging people to only park for their allotted time.”

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