PARKING bosses have faced frustrated Uttoxeter residents at a heated meeting in the town to discuss the current disillusionment with parking in the town.
Representatives from East Staffordshire Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council were the invited guests at a packed 50 Plus Forum meeting at Uttoxeter Town Hall on Monday.
Among the issues being discussed were the parking problems caused by the closure of part of the Maltings car park for a new housing development and the subsequent loss of disabled spaces.
Matthew Weston, ESBC’s parking manager and Richard Grayson, community highways liaison manager, were both at pains to point out that they had little say on planning matters which ultimately brought about the issues which have arisen in the Maltings.
But the anger being felt by residents was palpable regarding the loss of spaces but also in regards to other parking matters in the town such as ticketing in Market Place, on-street parking and the use, or lack thereof, of the isolated Carters Square car park.
Former Uttoxeter MP Janet Dean, who is now a member of the forum, said that she had raised the issue of the Carter Square car park in her time in office.
She said: “I have just had a look in the car park before coming here and there are only eight cars in there. If that car park was a long stay car park and charged similar to Trinity Road I think more people would use it taking pressure off that car park and the Maltings.
“At the minute it has a three hour limit and no route through to the High Street. People are not going to use it.” Mr Weston said the council really wished more people used Carters Square as was planned in the original parking strategy for the town but it did not take into account the downturn in the economy which has so far delayed the completion of the cattle market development.
Ye Olde Talbot landlord Andrew Riley raised the issues surrounding parking in Market Place which has seen many residents and visitors ticketed by enforcement officers.
He said: “The parking scheme by the kiosk is misleading and not fair on people coming in to the town.
It is good for you guys because it’s giving you revenue.
“The businesses down there are suffering and we can’t attract new people to that part of town.” Mrs Dean said she was also concerned about rumoured proposals to close Market Place to traffic five days a week.
Mr Grayson, from the highways authority, said in regards to the problem with the misleading bays in Market Place that they are looking into finding a solution to the issue.
He added: “The issue of the closure of Market Place is still open for debate. It is being looked at, at this moment in time but if we did go forward with a closure and making it pedestrianed you would be looking at a cost of more than £500,000.
“There are currently extreme pressures on the county council finances so I don’t think that kind of expenditure is on the cards until years down the line.
“There would though be widespread consultation if it was put forward.”
