Fight lost for Northampton town centre car parking charges, as increases passed by council

The town centre car parking proposals have been approved this evening (February 22) at a West Northamptonshire Council budget meeting, which will see the increases implemented from April.

The final budget 2023-24 was passed by 51 votes to 16 – with one who voted to abstain.

This decision comes months after the budget proposals were first revealed in a 121-page draft budget and medium financial plan in December 2022 – which estimated the town centre car parking plans could raise an extra £1 million in revenue.

From April, weekday costs will be increased to £1.10 per hour, the first two hours on Saturdays and Sundays will be free, and there will be a flat-rate of £2.20 for anyone staying longer than two hours on weekends in council-owned town centre car parks.

This sees the current free parking all day on Sundays scrapped and all hourly rates increased by 10 pence, the equivalent of 10 percent per hour, from £1 to £1.10.

The current two hours free parking on Saturday in council-owned town centre car parks remains, but this is only following an amendment to the proposal at a cabinet meeting on February 13 – which would have seen it scrapped otherwise.

Visitors will be able to pay to park per half an hour, instead of hourly blocks, for up to a total stay of five hours.

West Northamptonshire Council held a public consultation into all budget proposals, which ran until January 31.

Despite receiving in excess of 3,000 responses to that public consultation, most of which were expressing opposition to the car parking plans, they will go ahead.

This also follows more than 1,300 signatures being gained on a petition to see the town centre car parking proposals scrapped, in connection with the Chronicle & Echo’s campaign.

Julie Teckman, owner of Vintage Guru in St Giles’ Street, presented this petition at the council budget meeting (February 22), and Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District’s operations manager Mark Mullen spoke for a final time on the matter before the decision was made.

The proposed amendments to the budget from the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and Councillor Ian McCord did not propose a change to the town centre car parking charges.

When each of the proposed set of amendments were voted for, they were voted against by the majority in attendance – but the Liberal Democrats’ amendment to protect the bus subsidy and Cllr McCord’s amendment for free parking at country parks until 10.30am were both agreed.

When the floor was opened for individual councillors to debate the budget for a final time, Conservative Councillor James Hill and Labour Councillor Enam Haque referenced the need to tackle town centre car parking charges moving forward.

However, the proposals were passed as part of the final budget for 2023-24.

More coverage on the meeting will be published by Chronicle & Echo in due course.