Response to Lates Car Park Proposals
(Page Updated December 2nd)
After the Committee’s rejection of the proposals for charging for district car parks, we had hoped that any amended proposal would have reviewed the evidence provided by your officers in the January 2023 report which sought to justify the charges for transport reasons. We repeat below some of the evidence we found in surveying the number of vehicles and length of time they park, where they had come from and the reasons why people use the car park.
Firstly, we found very little abuse of the 3 hour limit, with 92% of users staying for 2 hours or less. One of the key reasons the officer’s report gives for charging is to make the turnover of spaces more efficient. It’s already highly efficient. Allowing stays of 4 hours would be counter productive.
We surveyed 342 users and found that the main purpose of using the Westbury Hill car park was to access the medical centre (28.1%), followed by visiting the banks (24.6%) and then shopping (24%). We did not know when the survey was undertaken in summer 2023 that two high street banks were soon to close their doors in Westbury, (a third had already closed). Shopkeepers have reported that trade has reduced noticeably in the mornings since their closure. One bank has been re-occupied by Age Concern, reducing the vacancy rate to below 10%, but Westbury village now has 6 charity shops.
When we asked what users would do after charges are introduced, 18% said they would go elsewhere for shopping or services and 19% would visit less frequently. Westbury Hill car park may serve a prosperous part of Bristol, but our survey showed that only 43% of car park users came from a BS9 postcode. 57% came from other parts of Bristol and beyond. Furthermore, your officer’s report shows that most of the other district car parks are in areas of deprivation.
District centres do not have the attractions of the larger centres. Still no account has been taken of the economic and social consequences of the proposed charges. All the district centres affected are struggling, particularly those with independent shops, of which Bristol is are so proud. The charges proposed are bound to impact on the large range of independents in Westbury on Trym, who need shoppers from a wider catchment area. They stand to lose as car borne shoppers visit less frequently.
On the other hand there are still opportunities for free car parking elsewhere Aldi and Lidl have local stores with free parking within a stone’s throw of the Machin Road, Callington Road and Chalks Lane car parks. Fishponds has loads of free car parking in the Morrisons and Lidl car parks.
Shoppers in the Westbury village catchment area can find free parking at Cribbs Causeway, at the discount Aldi and Lidi stores in both Southmead and Henbury. In Henbury who is going to pay to park at Machin Road when they can park 400 metres away in the Aldi store car park. The result being they are more likely to spend there rather than in Crow Lane district centre. It’s a proposal for self harm for Henbury but a gift for Aldi.
It is ironic that the Executive Director for the report is for ‘Growth and Regeneration’. Your planning policies seek to try to retain healthy shopping centres. Charging as proposed will do the opposite to this.
Whilst our prime concern is for Westbury, most of the other car parks affected serve district centres which are all suffering internet shopping, low economic growth and the fallout of Covid.
It is acknowledged that in the latest report 1 hour’s free parking is now proposed, which responds to the particular issue of the medical centre in the Westbury Hill car park. We note that the officer’s report contains a presumption that there will be widespread abuse of this concession unless it is only offered via a phone, smartphone app or online. This does not work for many elderly people using the centre. The population of Westbury aged over 65 at the 2021 census was 26.2%, over twice that of Bristol as a whole. One response we commonly received in our survey of users about the proposed charges is that they would not come to Westbury if they had to pay this way.
Aside from the business issue, the car park provides for the meetings and classes in the Methodist church hall, parish church and Village Hall. The Methodist church has a multitude of daytime classes and community activities, such as the Ukranian hub, the Country Market and the Friendly club for elderly people, run by volunteers. The argument that you will encourage modal change on Sundays fails to connect with reality. Bus services are very poor on Sundays. There is no ‘sustainable transport’ justification for charging for use of the car parks on Sundays. The only shops open in Westbury on Sunday are the Tesco Express and Co-op, which has its own car park, although we are aware that this is under threat of development
Firstly, we found very little abuse of the 3 hour limit, with 92% of users staying for 2 hours or less. One of the key reasons the officer’s report gives for charging is to make the turnover of spaces more efficient. It’s already highly efficient. Allowing stays of 4 hours would be counter productive.
We surveyed 342 users and found that the main purpose of using the Westbury Hill car park was to access the medical centre (28.1%), followed by visiting the banks (24.6%) and then shopping (24%). We did not know when the survey was undertaken in summer 2023 that two high street banks were soon to close their doors in Westbury, (a third had already closed). Shopkeepers have reported that trade has reduced noticeably in the mornings since their closure. One bank has been re-occupied by Age Concern, reducing the vacancy rate to below 10%, but Westbury village now has 6 charity shops.
When we asked what users would do after charges are introduced, 18% said they would go elsewhere for shopping or services and 19% would visit less frequently. Westbury Hill car park may serve a prosperous part of Bristol, but our survey showed that only 43% of car park users came from a BS9 postcode. 57% came from other parts of Bristol and beyond. Furthermore, your officer’s report shows that most of the other district car parks are in areas of deprivation.
District centres do not have the attractions of the larger centres. Still no account has been taken of the economic and social consequences of the proposed charges. All the district centres affected are struggling, particularly those with independent shops, of which Bristol is are so proud. The charges proposed are bound to impact on the large range of independents in Westbury on Trym, who need shoppers from a wider catchment area. They stand to lose as car borne shoppers visit less frequently.
On the other hand there are still opportunities for free car parking elsewhere Aldi and Lidl have local stores with free parking within a stone’s throw of the Machin Road, Callington Road and Chalks Lane car parks. Fishponds has loads of free car parking in the Morrisons and Lidl car parks.
Shoppers in the Westbury village catchment area can find free parking at Cribbs Causeway, at the discount Aldi and Lidi stores in both Southmead and Henbury. In Henbury who is going to pay to park at Machin Road when they can park 400 metres away in the Aldi store car park. The result being they are more likely to spend there rather than in Crow Lane district centre. It’s a proposal for self harm for Henbury but a gift for Aldi.
It is ironic that the Executive Director for the report is for ‘Growth and Regeneration’. Your planning policies seek to try to retain healthy shopping centres. Charging as proposed will do the opposite to this.
Whilst our prime concern is for Westbury, most of the other car parks affected serve district centres which are all suffering internet shopping, low economic growth and the fallout of Covid.
It is acknowledged that in the latest report 1 hour’s free parking is now proposed, which responds to the particular issue of the medical centre in the Westbury Hill car park. We note that the officer’s report contains a presumption that there will be widespread abuse of this concession unless it is only offered via a phone, smartphone app or online. This does not work for many elderly people using the centre. The population of Westbury aged over 65 at the 2021 census was 26.2%, over twice that of Bristol as a whole. One response we commonly received in our survey of users about the proposed charges is that they would not come to Westbury if they had to pay this way.
Aside from the business issue, the car park provides for the meetings and classes in the Methodist church hall, parish church and Village Hall. The Methodist church has a multitude of daytime classes and community activities, such as the Ukranian hub, the Country Market and the Friendly club for elderly people, run by volunteers. The argument that you will encourage modal change on Sundays fails to connect with reality. Bus services are very poor on Sundays. There is no ‘sustainable transport’ justification for charging for use of the car parks on Sundays. The only shops open in Westbury on Sunday are the Tesco Express and Co-op, which has its own car park, although we are aware that this is under threat of development
On Sunday most of the users affected will be those attending the parish church and Methodist church. However, there was no mention of religious groups being adversely affected in the Equality analysis. There is space on street in the village centre on Sundays at the moment, which no doubt will be taken up to avoid paying in the car park.
Conclusion
The introduction of car park charges in the district car parks is ill considered and, although it is argued it will promote sustainable travel behaviour, it will not lead to any substantive change in travel mode, but will lead to serious consequences for the shops and communities in those centres affected. The extension of parking to 4 hours and making spaces available to purchase by medical staff will reduce the turnover contrary to the report’s stated aims.
Andrew Renshaw, Chair Westbury on Trym Society.
