Milton Keynes is looking to introduce charges for its last remaining free city centre parking. Milton Keynes City Council has sparked controversy with its plans to eliminate all remaining complimentary car parking spaces in the city centre.
This follows an increase in minimum stay charges that was imposed just four months prior. The new proposal would see all free and time-limited spots in central Milton Keynes swapped for paid alternatives, falling in line with existing standard (purple) and premium (red) rate parking bays already dotted across the area.
The consultation by the council commenced on April 4, offering residents of the Buckinghamshire a chance to voice their opinions before any concrete decisions are made. The initiative hasn’t escaped criticism, with Conservative councillors warning that those most in need could be disproportionately affected.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil, who leads the city’s Conservative group, has called the move as “another potentially devastating blow” to the commercial and social lifeblood of central Milton Keynes. She highlighted the potential adverse impacts on market traders, students, local residents, and small business proprietors, cautioning that accessible parking is not just a luxury but a necessity, reports the Mirror.
Council documents state: “The proposal is based on the results of the Council’s Strategic Review of Parking, a citywide initiative designed to assess parking pressures and to identify areas where parking controls would help to alleviate those pressures.
“The proposal aims to manage parking availability and usage to the benefit of residents, businesses and their visitors. This will be achieved by the alteration of a combination of parking restrictions and parking places.”
The community is up in arms over the hefty parking fees in the city centre, with over 1,200 signatures gathered on a petition following the hike in charges last year.
At present, motorists face a fee of £1 per hour for the first two hours in standard tariff bays, then it drops to 50p for each additional hour. Premium spots hit the wallet harder at £2.50 for the initial hour and then £2 for subsequent hours, which has priced many regulars out of frequent use.
Free parking bays remain essential for those needing to make brief visits or attend appointments locally, and commuters benefit from them as they cope with soaring transport and living expenses. The escalating costs in Milton Keynes are creating a worry amongst residents, with both council tax and parking permits seeing continual increases.
The concern is that the city centre will become unreachable for many individuals. Local businesses have voiced similar fears, fearing that exorbitant parking rates will drive away customers. “We rely on people being able to park easily and affordably,” one owner of an independent store in the city said.
Officials have stated that they welcome input from the public during this consultation period. Any comments or suggestions need to be delivered by April 24 before deliberating on a conclusive course of action.
Cllr Peter Marland, the Labour leader of Milton Keynes City Council, said: “The current consultation taking place is to align a small number of two-hour free parking spaces in the city centre, which includes areas that used to serve a food store that has recently been demolished, around 300 out of 21,000 overall, with the charges for the rest of the city centre parking.”
He highlighted the city’s retail appeal, stating: “Milton Keynes is one of the major shopping destinations in the country with brands such as Apple, Harrods Beauty and SpaceNK alongside Primark attracting over 20million visits last year, an increase of 1.5%, while many other high streets struggle.
“Council standard bay spaces cost around 83p an hour for a 3 hour stay, which is relatively cheap in comparison to most other major city centres and privately owned car parking in the city. While not the main reason for the consultation, like all councils MK City Council is currently facing huge budget challenges and needs to find at least £34 million in savings over the next few years to keep going.
“The small amount of additional income raised will support the council by providing additional funding to repair more potholes, continue to support public transport and provide subsidised bus fares of £2.20 a day for those up to 18 or all those in training or education. We have no plans to charge for disabled spaces.”
Those wishing to comment are encouraged to do so in writing, addressing their letters to the Traffic Regulation Order Team at Milton Keynes Council, Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ. Alternatively, emails can be sent to TROteam@milton-keynes. gov. uk, making sure to include the reference TRO-420.