Readers' views on Wirral parking charge increase (From Wirral Globe)

Readers' views on Wirral parking charge increase

11:10am Tuesday 26th March 2013 in News By Geoff Barnes and Craig Manning

'Unfair' parking fees set to change - so you'll pay more to park outside of Birkenhead

MOTORISTS have described increases in car parking charges at shopping centres across Wirral as 'unfair'.

From next month parking charges across the borough will be standardized across the peninsula to fall in line with rates in Birkenhead.

Motorists visiting West Kirby, Heswall and Liscard shops will have to fork out extra cash for local authority car parks.

It means that the first hour of parking in a council-run car park will be £1.05 from April 8.

In many of the car parks, it will be £1.65 to park for up to two hours, up to three will be £2.05, up to four hours the price will £3.40 and up to five will be £4.10. Any period over five hours will be £8.

There are some exceptions to this tariff.

At the long-stay car park in Upper Mount Avenue in Heswall, for example, the first two hours of parking will cost £1.05, and anything longer than that will be charged at an all-day rate of £4.10

In the long-stay car parks in Birkenhead - Woodside Approach, Elgin Way, Hinson St, Duncan St and Quarry Bank Street – it will be £1.05 to park for up to one hour or £4.10 for all day.

At the Price Street car park, at the back of Conway Street railway station, prices will be £1.05 for up to one hour, £1.65 to park for up to two hours, up to three will be £2.05 and £2.90 to park all day.

In addition, in the long-stay, on-street pay and display bays around Birkenhead, the Council is introducing a reduced £2.50 all day parking rate.

People will also be able to purchase an annual permit to park in these spaces at a cost of £570 per year, with an option to pay monthly.

Councillor Harry Smith, Wirral Council cabinet member for streetscene and transport services, said: “We believe it is was unfair to charge such different rates for car parking across Wirral and we therefore took the decision to standardise charges at the current rate for Birkenhead car parks.

“I appreciate that people will see the cost of parking their car in some parts of the borough rise considerably as a result of the change, but we believe having standardised charges across Wirral is the right and fair way to go in the longer term.

He added: “At the same time, I believe reducing the ‘all day’ charges in Birkenhead on-street long stay bays to £2.50 will make these spaces more competitive with private operators in these areas.”

From the end of March, funding for the "Free After 3" parking scheme runs out and the council has decided not to continue with this offer. That means that people parking in Council-run car parks after 3pm will have to pay at the appropriate parking rate.

Full details of the new parking charges and the locations to which they apply can be found on the Wirral Council website - https://www.wirral.gov.uk/my-services/transport-and-streets/parking

SO do you think the price increase fair?

The Globe went out to the Concourse carpark in West Kirby and spoke to motorists.

Adam Sands, 29, from Neston, manager of ZeroFour hairdresser in West Kirby

"This increase in parking charges will be terrible for the town.

"I think the business will suffer, because a lot of my clients come from outside Wirral.

"Some of my clients live out of the area so because the price is going up, people will be forced to find other places to park or in nearby streets or may just go to Liverpool."

Norman Irlam, 77, a retired clerk from Meols

"It means we are going to have to pay a lot more to park at the Concourse just to see a doctor and will make a big difference to us."

Student Ruzbah Riahi, 18, from Hoylake

"It's a bad idea. I use the Concourse car park everyday to use the gym and will stop doing it because of this. I’ll have to park elsewhere."

Mike Heaps, 53, retired and from Oxton

"I don’t think it's fair.

"While it's in line with city centre parking, all parking for leisure facilities seems unjustified.

"On several occasions the parking ticket meters have not been working, which also causes problems. You’re paying for car parks themselves, so why aren’t they maintained?"

Katie Farrington, 32, a customer service advisor from Moreton

"It's disgusting for the price to jump from 30p an hour to £1.05 overnight.

"It will put off a lot people, particularly the elderly, who use the car park when using the swimming baths."

Katie's colleague Lindsey Hobley, 35, from Wallasey

"It's ridiculous.

"It's a bit steep and will certainly put a lot of people off using the car park."

Comments(43)

Jack Boot says...
1:10pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Typical! They standardise to the highest tariff of £1.05 per hour!
Got to pity those in at West Kirby Concourse who used to pay 30p and hour, thats a 350% increase. What a rip off

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MDRyUK says...
1:47pm Fri 22 Mar 13

High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”.

I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough?

Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral.
I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors.

Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges.

As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53).

Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle.

Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not.

It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars.

High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”. I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough? Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral. I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors. Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges. As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53). Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle. Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not. It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars. MDRyUK

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Growl Tiger says...
1:47pm Fri 22 Mar 13

How typical and very blinkered. The shops are suffering so what does WBC do. Put the car parking charges up and discourage even more shoppers.

Many councils across the country operate the free after 3.00pm scheme. It worked just fine on Wirral so our council feels compelled to remove it. It will result in more cars being parked in the streets which adds to congestion and road safety issues.

Well done our forward thinking council.

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WirralAl says...
1:48pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Well Harry Smith you are just another deluded idiot.

Why are you pushing drivers away from the historical shopping centres.

Better to drive to Liverpool and get ripped off with tunnel fees and higher parking prices as the shops are so much better or drive to Bromborough or even go to the large supermarkets with free parking.

Poor shop keepers get the sticky end and have to pay WBC a fortune to be in a town centre and WBC charge us for parking so we go elsewhere.

WBC as always run by short sighted idiots.

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WirralAl says...
1:58pm Fri 22 Mar 13

MDRyUK wrote:
High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”.

I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough?

Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral.
I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors.

Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges.

As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53).

Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle.

Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not.

It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars.

Well said!

Wirral council has 66 short sighted idiots who have not one ounce of common sense.

Look at what our council built 100 years ago with great vision and foresight. Grand shopping town centres, train lines, trams etc.

These days ahh just charge more and that will fix it.

Pure stupidity!!!!!!!!!!

[quote][p][bold]MDRyUK[/bold] wrote: High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”. I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough? Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral. I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors. Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges. As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53). Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle. Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not. It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars.[/p][/quote]Well said! Wirral council has 66 short sighted idiots who have not one ounce of common sense. Look at what our council built 100 years ago with great vision and foresight. Grand shopping town centres, train lines, trams etc. These days ahh just charge more and that will fix it. Pure stupidity!!!!!!!!!! WirralAl

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Cheesy Peas says...
2:08pm Fri 22 Mar 13

£1.05?

Clearly designed to make people go off to obtain that awkward small change, and return to find themselves with a £30 parking ticket.

Wirral Council: They can't fill in the pot holes, they can't empty the bins, they can't care for kids and old people, but oh my, can they dip into your pocket.

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allan58 says...
2:26pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Classes and swimming lessons at West Kirby Concourse typically last for 45 minutes and you have to be there 15 minutes before or be fined. Parking will be required for 2 hours @ £1.65 as opposed to 40p. Is this a way to close the Concourse because numbers using it start to fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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MDRyUK says...
2:33pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Cheesy Peas wrote:
£1.05?

Clearly designed to make people go off to obtain that awkward small change, and return to find themselves with a £30 parking ticket.

Wirral Council: They can't fill in the pot holes, they can't empty the bins, they can't care for kids and old people, but oh my, can they dip into your pocket.

You make an excellent point Cheesy Peas - the odd little 5 pence coin. Why, oh why?

Also, typically many coin operated machines won't take 5 pence coins.

So why didn't the stick to just £1 coin and leave it at that.

Probably no one bothered to think outside the box. That's the trouble: many councillors here on Wirral don't bother to think!

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bigfoot says...
2:47pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Cheshire Oaks here we come-thanks Councillor!

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No.9 says...
3:56pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Very short-sighted! Harry Smith... get down to Specsavers... before they also give up on Birkenhead!

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frank h says...
4:05pm Fri 22 Mar 13

doesn't WBC understand the problem that the high st face is the lack of footfall the main reason is that people having to pay for parking once again blinkered Councillors making the wrong decision. does it surprise me that the standardise rate is the higher rate. well done taking the after 3pm free parking really see this council cares about the difficulties the high st shops are facing.
it is alleged that cllr Smith and other Councillors are about to start their own business in the wheel clamping industry. must point out this is just a vicious rumor honest

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LocaLGovwatcher says...
4:13pm Fri 22 Mar 13

WirralAl wrote:

MDRyUK wrote:
High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”.

I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough?

Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral.
I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors.

Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges.

As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53).

Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle.

Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not.

It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars.
Well said!

Wirral council has 66 short sighted idiots who have not one ounce of common sense.

Look at what our council built 100 years ago with great vision and foresight. Grand shopping town centres, train lines, trams etc.

These days ahh just charge more and that will fix it.

Pure stupidity!!!!!!!!!!

The 66 Councillors are not so short-sighted with their expenses.

[quote][p][bold]WirralAl[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]MDRyUK[/bold] wrote: High streets across the country are changing. More empty shops than ever before and lower foot fall. A new approach is needed. We hear comments: “Internet shopping is destroying our high-street businesses”. I regret here on Wirral the situation is slightly different. Let’s face it Birkenhead town centre over the years has been hit badly because our council repeatedly failed miserably to manage car parking charges properly. Then they approved out of town shopping centres such as Bromborough Croft Shopping Centre where motorists park for Free – zero parking charge. So why pay a charge, park in Birkenhead, when you can shop free of parking charges in Bromborough? Here we are again, Council in a jam with no money and what do they decide to do? Yes, standardise parking charges across Wirral. I personally think this is a bad move. It shows very little joined up thinking masterminded and overseen by our 66 councillors. Disagree with me? Ok. But let’s see what happens in reality. Other local councils around the country have seen the light and slowly developed better strategies even though our council says it has very little choice in the matter. Even central government is trying to encourage a more flexible approach promoting high streets by encouraging lower car parking charges. As usual on Wirral we all have to suffer. If motorists can’t park their cars for a more reasonable cost that varies between location to location depending on supply and demand factors, they will simply shop at supermarkets and out of town centres (such as Bromborough Croft Centre and Cheshire Oaks off the M53). Surely Wirral Council must see the sense in developing a better strategy managing their car parks and charging policies. Otherwise shops will be put out of business (less business rates) because demand for high street shopping will continue to dwindle. Proof of the pudding is Birkenhead Town Centre Shopping – sunk over the years. How ironic Asda moved out of Birkenhead when Wirral Council sanctioned the development out of town shopping park at the Croft Estate in Bromborough some years ago. Then in recent years Wirral Council allowed Asda to move back into Birkenhead on to a new site which cut the number of car parking spaces for non-Asda Birkenhead Grange Road shoppers. Brilliant! Think not. It’s very sad Wirral Council ruined Birkenhead as a shopping centre by failing to manage their town centre car parks and sticking to a policy of charging motorists more and more for parking their cars.[/p][/quote]Well said! Wirral council has 66 short sighted idiots who have not one ounce of common sense. Look at what our council built 100 years ago with great vision and foresight. Grand shopping town centres, train lines, trams etc. These days ahh just charge more and that will fix it. Pure stupidity!!!!!!!!!![/p][/quote]The 66 Councillors are not so short-sighted with their expenses. LocaLGovwatcher

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kitten13 says...
4:23pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Ellesmere Port and Chester have free parking after 3. I know where I will be shopping in future.

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keith3028 says...
4:54pm Fri 22 Mar 13

The Council are not interested in our town centres as is painfully shown with the parking charges fiasco.
Likewise, why is it that Birkenhead Town Centre doesn't have a town centre manager or town team as many other nearby areas have especially in Cheshire.
I bet out councillors don't even shop locally!

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Cheesy Peas says...
5:16pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Harry Smith would make a good wheel clamper.

They all tend to be a tad on the short side (true) and foul-mouthed (he's had to apologise more than once) too.

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Positive thinker says...
6:27pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Maybe at 30p an hour in West Kirby they've had it to good for to long

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andygt6 says...
8:25pm Fri 22 Mar 13

" unreal !!!"

Taxing the working people,the vunerable and all in wirral again!!!

Wirral needs visitors to come.Specially with Liverpool 1 side,Chester the other.These council idiots are taxing them now and not looking after us residents.

Hard to say avoid council car parks,so that the council dont benefit. Recommend take council tax off direct debit ,pay by other means and give that message we re not happy with this!!!!

Hard enough for the worker who needs to use these carparks for work,with an increase in council tax ontop.

Guess now it will fill the side streets of West Kirkby and others.

Cllr Smith has probubly got his clamps via expenses!

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Positive thinker says...
8:37pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Hopefully all of the side roads will have yellow lines,it's a fact of life it costs to park a car

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Growl Tiger says...
9:13pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Councillors take note – many of these out of town shopping centres mentioned by the posters with free parking are in Cheshire where Wirral used to be but is not any more to our great pity.

When people shop there all the money goes out of Wirral, but you are too entrenched to see further than the end of your expense claim forms where no doubt your parking fees are free.

This stinks .....again....again and again!

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bloodtub says...
9:31pm Fri 22 Mar 13

cllr smith why spend 1.3 million pounds on trees in the northend of birkenhead and put up carparking fees in the rest of wirral why dont you spend our money in a sensible way, what planet are you on ,let alone how much will it cost to maintain theses trees and the damage the roots will do

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Hon says...
7:10am Sat 23 Mar 13

Scales of economy, I buy online and ship home. I very rarely visit a shipping centre. But surely going to out of areas if they further away will cost you more on fuel then going locally ? Times are hard this is a better option then closing more services for sure...

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pykey08 says...
10:15am Sat 23 Mar 13

cheshire oaks has free parking and i am lucky to get there

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David Scott says...
11:07am Sat 23 Mar 13

This is excellent news, of course, for Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, etc.

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Positive thinker says...
1:08pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Cheshire oaks here I come,these people obviously can't count How much is fuel per litre

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No.9 says...
4:14pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Positive thinker wrote:
Cheshire oaks here I come,these people obviously can't count How much is fuel per litre

Probably costs about £6.00 to go to Cheshire Oaks and back (from Birkenhead).

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andygt6 says...
4:22pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Depends if its diesel or unleaded.Shop on line now.Its too bloody cold to go Cheshire Oaks.Still a council rip off thou!!!!

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bickyboy says...
7:37pm Sat 23 Mar 13

If I didn't know better, I might wonder whether some councillors are taking backhanders from the supermarkets.

On a scale of stupidity where ten is the highest, this move ranks at round about eleven and a half.

I can walk to Liscard to visit the shops; however, its a bit further to Birkenhead. I might take the train to Liverpool instead.

Harry Smith, surely this story is an early April Fool wheeze?

Incidentally, I must pay a visit to West Kriby. Not been before and it sounds appealing.

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Jimrob says...
12:15am Sun 24 Mar 13

Why oh why oh why do people here on the Wirral keep voting Labour?

As far as I can see a vote for them is to vote for corrupt, mindless idiots?

I'm NOT saying the Tory's or the Lib Dems are any better either.

It must surely be time to start voting for candidates that are NOT affiliated to ANY of the mainstream party's. It's the ONLY way that I can see we will ever be free of such stupid decisions.

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polo_rob says...
1:45am Sun 24 Mar 13

Well why they're at it why don't they put a pay and display machine in the car park at the bottom of Rappart Road by the town hall and make sure they charge these standardised rates to all their staff that park there five days a week surely that would bring in at the very least £1000 if not double a week, why should all the other workers throughout the borough suffer and the town hall workers get away with free parking. Mind if they actually did this all the workers would probably just clog up all the residential streets round the town hall, easily sorted though with a residents permit scheme, oh wait they'd charge us to set one of those up too!

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bickyboy says...
10:24am Sun 24 Mar 13

Jimrob wrote:
Why oh why oh why do people here on the Wirral keep voting Labour?

As far as I can see a vote for them is to vote for corrupt, mindless idiots?

I'm NOT saying the Tory's or the Lib Dems are any better either.

It must surely be time to start voting for candidates that are NOT affiliated to ANY of the mainstream party's. It's the ONLY way that I can see we will ever be free of such stupid decisions.

The perpetually-jerking knee of the unthinking masses, Jimrob. Its not the councillors who are idiots: they're the clever ones, exploiting the stupidity of the electorate. The mindless act is the one committed by the people who foist their poor choices upon us time and time again, and who would vote for a pig if it wore the right colour of rosette.

Whilst we have a stupid public who believe everything they read in the tabloids and that its OK to vote Labour "because they're the party of the working man", or OK to vote Tory "because they favour private enterprise", or for the Liberals "because we must have more immigration" we'll never escape this depressing merry-go-round.

Look how many residents of Wirral bother to comment on this website: a tiny handful. Politicians must be absolutely ****-a-hoop at the apathy, naivety and dimwittedness of those whose ill-considered choices at election time guarantee councillors and MPs of mainstream parties a position of trust that, IMHO, only a very few deserve.

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Hugo1008 says...
10:37am Sun 24 Mar 13

Very strange but all across the country Councils who joined the idea of scrapping car parking charges after 3.0pm have reported this to be a remarkable success.

City Centre shops renewed their leases, sales did go up even taking in to account the general trend of people having less disposable income.

Police and Traffic control organisations noticed no vast increase of problems associated with parking, and Market Traders reported increased footfall in the locations they are involved in, all in all it seems like a winning formula all round.

So if it aint broke why mess around with a confusing and stupid **** up.

Oh I know, normal is not normal for Wirral Borough Council and its abysmal collection of parasitic so called Councillors.

They need the cash flow to syphon off into who knows where, certainly the public do not.

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Sebby1 says...
10:52am Sun 24 Mar 13

allan58 wrote:
Classes and swimming lessons at West Kirby Concourse typically last for 45 minutes and you have to be there 15 minutes before or be fined. Parking will be required for 2 hours @ £1.65 as opposed to 40p. Is this a way to close the Concourse because numbers using it start to fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, and West Kirby is the only council run leisure centre without its own parking facilities I think. I went in and asked if the fee would be refunded like at Europa- but no. The car park has "nothing to do" with the leisure centre apparently- even though they are both council run and its right outside. Also dont get ill because going to the drs will cost you a bit more as well.

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No.9 says...
4:21pm Sun 24 Mar 13

andygt6 wrote:
" unreal !!!"

Taxing the working people,the vunerable and all in wirral again!!!

Wirral needs visitors to come.Specially with Liverpool 1 side,Chester the other.These council idiots are taxing them now and not looking after us residents.

Hard to say avoid council car parks,so that the council dont benefit. Recommend take council tax off direct debit ,pay by other means and give that message we re not happy with this!!!!

Hard enough for the worker who needs to use these carparks for work,with an increase in council tax ontop.

Guess now it will fill the side streets of West Kirkby and others.

Cllr Smith has probubly got his clamps via expenses!

I do like the idea for disrupting the free-flow of our money to the council. I would never refuse to pay council tax but I would actually like to withhold it until I'm satisfied that my very hard earned money is spent wisely. At present I don't believe it is. If a good few thousand other disgruntled Wirral residents did the same then we would certainly see changes for the better - "boot on the other foot"! All it takes is a petition and a willingness to act.

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griffter79 says...
12:49pm Mon 25 Mar 13

Not sure what all the fuss is about - if you follow the web link to the council website and then view the tariff PDF document it clearly states that the new charges will come into force on 8th April 2103! -Some 90 years away yet! LOL

Well done WBC - Why not use the extra funds you raise through car parking to hire someone to quality check your documentation!

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Jack Boot says...
1:29pm Tue 26 Mar 13

Well spotted grifter! and be wary of doing the council's job for it, the year has now been amended.

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uncatom says...
3:09pm Tue 26 Mar 13

Ref the odd 5 pence, no 5s how about tens or twenties or even fifties, no change given,another little council scam, thats why it not rounded off, as to councillor Smith stick to looking after TRFC that about all you are good for.

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water1lily says...
3:31am Wed 27 Mar 13

Nothing to do with unfairness all about raising more money from motorists. As usual the morons who make these decisions have not thought it through people will stop using the leisure facilities and shops in these areas,instead using out of town and large supermarkets where there are no parking charges.I haven't shoped in Birkenhead for years.These other towns will be added to the list and more high street shops will close down resulting in loss of revenue from Business Rates when the council should be supporting these areas. Haven't they realised there is a Recession.

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No.9 says...
9:06am Wed 27 Mar 13

Out of principal I'll continue to support my local shops unlike this fool we call a councillor, but I'll cut down my visits due to the ending of free after 3.00 parking. So, Harry Smith, you can rub your hands together, slaver and grin inanely at the thought of my paltry £1.05 tinkling in your coffers but I wish you'd spared a thought for the shopkeepers, they're the real losers thanks to your narrow-mindedness.

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Dantealighieri says...
10:11am Wed 27 Mar 13

I have no idea why drivers use council car parks, just park on bends, at junctions, on single yellows, double yellows, on pavements, block access, block roads, park anywhere you like. Then stick your grannies blue badge on the dashboard, bingo, job done. Thing is you vote for these muppets year in year out, so stop moaning and start thinking.

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allan58 says...
6:57am Thu 28 Mar 13

Sebby1 wrote:

allan58 wrote: Classes and swimming lessons at West Kirby Concourse typically last for 45 minutes and you have to be there 15 minutes before or be fined. Parking will be required for 2 hours @ £1.65 as opposed to 40p. Is this a way to close the Concourse because numbers using it start to fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, and West Kirby is the only council run leisure centre without its own parking facilities I think. I went in and asked if the fee would be refunded like at Europa- but no. The car park has "nothing to do" with the leisure centre apparently- even though they are both council run and its right outside. Also dont get ill because going to the drs will cost you a bit more as well.

If refunding the car parking charge at Europa for people using the leisure centre is acceptable and the name of the game is to have similar charges across the Wirral, either introduce a refund policy at the Concourse or stop the refund policy at Europa you can't have it both ways or perhaps you can?

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pooboy says...
1:39pm Thu 28 Mar 13

I work in retail and your general council member can afford to shop in the better areas,not Birkenhead etc.
The don't represent the working class anymore.
I don't think the parking charges are the issue....
I shop online all the time now as it's cheaper,no scallies on street corners,no awful customer service,no single mums pushing round their twin buggies in their PJ's F'IN AND BLINDIN',no canvassers,no beggers,no big issue man,no tramps,no rip off market traders selling crap,no thieves,no pickpockets,no shoplifters,no snow and you wonder why the high street is in decline???
BAN THE LOT OF THEM and you may get people back into Birkenhead

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Positive thinker says...
5:44pm Fri 29 Mar 13

You missed all the fatties stuffing a Sayers pastie in there face

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JADEE1 says...
7:12pm Tue 2 Apr 13

so much for free parking in town from 3 pm,,mon to thur,that was very underhand & sneeky of all the coucilors,to scrap it,,that was to keep the people quiet while milions of pounds worth of our car parks were given away to ASDA/WALLMART,for PENNYS,,now ASDA is built ,they can further kill off our market,ready to sell on to ?????,if councilors wanted to help all the other business,survive they would never have taken that free parking away,infact they would have made free parking from 1pm,to help all business.& not increase charges ,to the detrament of the town,& the advantage,of ASDA,/ WALLMART.they must be very gratefull !!!

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