9:18am Wednesday 7th July 2010
By Mark Stead
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.
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