Winter freeze blamed for reduction in income from parking fees (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
News coverage for York, Ryedale, East Yorkshire, Harrogate and Selby.
Popular topics: Community Stadium | Snow | Germany Beck | ftr | Queen's visit | Council tax
Winter freeze blamed for reduction in income from parking fees
9:18am Wednesday 7th July 2010 in
-
- By Mark Stead » mark.stead@thepress.co.uk
YORK has been left with a £267,000 parking cash shortfall as a result of the winter freeze and the recession.
Figures revealed by City of York Council show the black hole in the amount of money spent by motorists widened in the last few months of 2009/10 to finish £23,000 further below budget than originally expected.
Poor weather in December and January has been blamed for the drop and council bosses say the summer heatwave may also affect the totals for the current financial year, as more drivers take trips away from the city.
The statistics have been outlined in a report on the finances and performances of the council’s city strategy directorate, which will go before a meeting of the economic and city development committee next week. It shows the section went over its £9.996 million budget by £121,000, with short-stay parking providing £70,000 less income than expected and long-stay parking ending £191,000 below budget.
Coun Steve Galloway, the council’s executive member for city strategy, said: “The reduction from budgeted income last year was as expected, given the very poor weather experienced in the post-Christmas period.
“Compared to the peak, our car-parking revenues are down by about six per cent, although part of this is accounted for by the recent increase in VAT. It is too early to speculate on what the out-turn might be for the 2010/11 financial year.
“Paradoxically, very hot weather in the summer can also affect our income as people head for the coast.”
But Coun Galloway said new ticket machines which allow different pricing levels and payment by credit and debit cards in the Piccadilly multi-storey car park in the city centre were proving “successful”, with about 12 per cent of all transactions now being done through the facility.
“The machines will be rolled out to other car parks over the next few months and may have a positive influence on car-park usage,” he said.
The report also showed income from planning applications virtually halved in 2009/10 compared with the previous year, ending with a £511,000 shortfall, because of the economic gloom.
Comments(18)
AngryandFrustrated
says...
9:27am Wed 7 Jul 10
On the one hand, we are bombarded with the "let's get the private car out of the city centre" mantra and then on the other you get stories like this bemoaning the drop in car parking revenue. I would have thought that the Council would be jumping for joy at the figures which clearly show less cars have travelled into York, but no. Not this Council. Think of all the benefits that have been rammed down our throats that we have all experienced as a result in the drop of cars - less congestion, less car drivers to irritate cyclists, less air pollution etc.
“The machines will be rolled out to other car parks over the next few months and may have a positive influence on car-park usage,” he said. Make up your bl**dy minds - do you want cars to come into the city centre or not?!!
Heaven forbid that we have some of that nice weather that Galloway was talking about...............
............
peepod
says...
9:35am Wed 7 Jul 10
Taken for a Mug
says...
9:55am Wed 7 Jul 10
PKH
says...
10:06am Wed 7 Jul 10
Wayne Carr wrote:Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.
redr
says...
10:08am Wed 7 Jul 10
hifive
says...
10:15am Wed 7 Jul 10
Theendoftheworld
says...
10:28am Wed 7 Jul 10
Head of Bomber Command
says...
12:16pm Wed 7 Jul 10
Wayne Carr wrote:Well Wayne Carr (no I won't say it too fast you clever lad) you've hit on why I have started to park most of the time off Burton Lane and then leg it into town.
Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.
Much rather do this than pay the over priced parking charge down Marygate............
.This year is the first time I have ever done this.
I am not a COY resident so can't get a reduction.
HOBC
Alucard
says...
12:46pm Wed 7 Jul 10
keepitshut
says...
12:52pm Wed 7 Jul 10
PKH wrote:Considering the York area is 105 square miles and there were about 50 council staff doing there level best to clear snow and ice they didnt do a bad job!
Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
m dee
says...
1:16pm Wed 7 Jul 10
PKH
says...
1:55pm Wed 7 Jul 10
keepitshut wrote:If you read my post carefully I did not criticise the council staff, fact slippery pavements and car parks put poeple off coming into York, fact there was a lot of bad press at the time about it. If the council had been able to do more about it there may have been less bad press putting people off.
PKH wrote:Considering the York area is 105 square miles and there were about 50 council staff doing there level best to clear snow and ice they didnt do a bad job!Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
Frodo Baggins
says...
5:44pm Wed 7 Jul 10
keepitshut wrote:Even less men when the con-dem cuts start to bite.
PKH wrote:Considering the York area is 105 square miles and there were about 50 council staff doing there level best to clear snow and ice they didnt do a bad job!Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
keepitshut
says...
9:50pm Wed 7 Jul 10
PKH wrote:Fact..the whole country was covered in snow and ice, Fact...every council in the land was slated, Fact....people were advised not to go out!
keepitshut wrote:If you read my post carefully I did not criticise the council staff, fact slippery pavements and car parks put poeple off coming into York, fact there was a lot of bad press at the time about it. If the council had been able to do more about it there may have been less bad press putting people off.PKH wrote:Considering the York area is 105 square miles and there were about 50 council staff doing there level best to clear snow and ice they didnt do a bad job!Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
certificate18
says...
10:17pm Wed 7 Jul 10
Wayne Carr
says...
6:05am Thu 8 Jul 10
PKH wrote:Yes I would have thank you. At least I wouldn't have had to pay to visit the skating rink near the tower!!
Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Would you come into York with pavements and car parks like ice rinks, this was the main reason which put people off. If the council had managed to do a better job of snow/ice clearance ther would not have been the bad press about the conditions which would have put a lot of people off.
Wayne Carr
says...
6:20am Thu 8 Jul 10
Head of Bomber Command wrote:Nice one HOBC! lol
Wayne Carr wrote: Yes it could have been the winter weather. Then again, it could have been the extortionate prices they charge, that has put people off coming to York.Well Wayne Carr (no I won't say it too fast you clever lad) you've hit on why I have started to park most of the time off Burton Lane and then leg it into town. Much rather do this than pay the over priced parking charge down Marygate............ .This year is the first time I have ever done this. I am not a COY resident so can't get a reduction. HOBC
More News stories
- Briggs hits back in police expenses row
- Teenager airlifted to hospital after sledging accident
- Hamster fried alive in York city centre
- Sweet treat for ‘lovipop’ twins
- ‘Pirate’ puss Gordon is latest sculpture on York’s cat trail
- Scheme to boost cycling hailed a success
- Two arrested in Acomb burglary probe
- Council leader launches attack on minister
- Out-of-town complex critic says he wants what’s right for York
- Survivors ‘lucky to be alive’ after crash landing
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Wayne Carr says...
9:25am Wed 7 Jul 10