Free parking to stay after charge plans delayed

A plan to introduce charges for 22 free car parks across Wirral has been delayed following a move by Labour councillors.

The proposals will be re-examined after a council meeting was presented with a report from Nailsea near Bristol which found 79% of businesses there felt parking charges had hurt trade - bringing down turnover by 27%.

Councillors were due to be asked to vote to bring in the charges.

However, Wirral's deputy council leader Julie McManus said there needed to be a further review as a 2023 parking policy might no longer be fit for purpose.

The decision would have seen fees introduced for the Fort Perch Rock car park in New Brighton, Banks Road in Heswall, and the All Port Lane car park in Bromborough among others.

Elected members had heard concerns from businesses in Bromborough as well as Fort Perch Rock and the Adventureland in New Brighton.

Labour councillor and committee chair Liz Grey had said any decision could be "very quickly reviewed and reversed if necessary".

Later in the meeting, she said there was at least a £200,000 financial pressure related to subsidised parking.

"What we have heard tonight has been heartfelt and genuine," she said.

"The real concerns for the wellbeing of businesses, I can't imagine how stressful that must be to worry about the ongoing future of your business.

"I do get that but it's also vital that we are looking at the bigger picture."

However, after the intervention by McManus and senior Labour councillor Steve Foulkes, the proposal will be reviewed by the policy and resources committee.

The move was welcomed by Conservatives on the committee who campaigned against the charges with the Liberal Democrats and voted in favour of the delay.

The Green Party voted against the delay, with one councillor suggesting the proposed fees were "not unreasonable" and could prevent spaces filling up with cars that "didn't need to be there."

But the continuation of free parking was met with relief by Dave Wilkie, of Wilkie Leisure Group which operates New Brighton's Adventureland.

The business has funded legal challenges several times over the proposed charges.

Wilkie told the LDRS: "They should be looking at this in a totally different way which they are starting to tonight by basically thinking tourism brings in business, bring in jobs, brings in people, and that's what they need to look at.

"In the 11 years I have been fighting this, they could have done so much."

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