Increasing car parking charges damages the town centre as people are driven away, a councillor has claimed.

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council voted to increase the cost of parking in many of its car parks as part of its budget last year, but this did not lead to more revenue being generated last year.

From Wednesday: Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Environment Committee provisionally approve increase in car parking charges 

The council’s Environment Committee also approved a raft of tariffs this week – the highest increases being by 50p for long stays in the Atkins car park and 50p in West Hill – that will be decided at a full council meeting on Valentine’s Day.

Along with increases to charges for cemetery and burial services, refuse collection, and other services, the council expects to rake in an extra £262,000 in 2017/18 because of the rises.

But figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, show the total revenue generated by council car parks and pay-and-display meters decreased in the last full financial year, despite charges going up.

From November 2015: Epsom High Street would be 'killed' if parking charges are raised in April

From January 2016: Ashley Centre businesses slam parking charges proposed by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

In 2015/16, £1,184,741.30 was raised - £54,721.35 (about 4.5 per cent) less than in the previous financial year.

The council had hoped to encourage longer-term parking for those working in the town centre, for example, in car parks in Hook Road and the Upper High Street, and make the Ashley Centre a short-term car park, a spokesman stated.

Total revenue generated by council car parks and pay-and-display meters in Epsom and Ewell:

  • 2011/12 - £1,002,938.60
  • 2012/13 - £1,043,023.75
  • 2013/14 - £1,103,166.80
  • 2014/15 - £1,239,462.65
  • 2015/16 - £1,184,741.30

Councillor Jane Race was the only member of the council’s Environment Committee to vote against the provisional charges this week.

She told the Epsom Guardian: “Having 3 per cent increases in car parking charges year-on-year damages our town centre.”

Figures presented to the Environment Committee on Tuesday, January 31 show the number of monthly visitors to the Ashley Centre car park between November 2015 and October 2016 – the latest numbers available – were down from the previous year.

The report stated: “Visitor numbers to the Ashley Centre car park have been in gradual decline over the last three years.

“This could be due to a number of factors such as the increase in car park charges or the changes in retail offering in the Ashley Centre.”

Surrey Comet:

Cllr Race (pictured above) added: “We’ve had a lot of better shops in Epsom in previous years.

“If you had a good range of quality shops it would be fine, but the majority of shops are charity shops and we are asking people to pay a lot of money to spend time in their own town centre.

“It’s just not good value.”

A council spokesman stated that “approximately 70 per cent of the income generated by the car parks is ploughed back into their management, maintenance and improvement”.

He added: “As more vehicles are now using the cheaper, long stay car parks (which was the intention), there has been a slight drop in numbers at the Ashely centre. We have also seen a significant usage increase at the Town Hall / Hope Lodge car park, again being part of the strategic goal.

“While we are confident numbers will further pick-up, this will probably not be until after the Plan E highway improvements and the other highway works scheduled for Epsom are completed.

“Car park usage is also heavily dependent on what shops, restaurants and leisure activities are on offer. In recent months there have been some exciting new restaurants and shops come to Epsom and we believe that these will also have a positive impact on parking numbers.”

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