Bedford Borough Council’s Conservative Group has criticised a plan from the authority’s Liberal Democrat and Labour administration to increase an array of parking charges.

Whilst welcoming a proposed 2 hour free hour parking initiative every day at the underused Queen Street Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP), Conservative councillors are warning the Mayor that he is driving motorists to neighbouring towns as a result of repeated charge increases.  This is evidenced through reduced usage at the Lurke Street and River Street MSCPs between 2015 to 2016.

Amongst the proposals is an increase in the standard 2 hour charge at Lurke Street and Allhallows MSCPs to £1.90; nearly twice as expensive as the £1 charge in Milton Keynes and comparing badly with free parking offered in Rushden and Northampton.

In addition, commuters to London using the Ashburnham Road car park will have little choice but to pay a 6.7% increase in their annual season ticket which will be set at £1257, while the daily charge is to increase to £8.

Those wishing to buy a newspaper on Tavistock Street will find themselves forking out £0.80 for just 30 minutes of on-street parking.  Meanwhile, visitors to the restaurants at the forthcoming Riverside North development can expect to pay £2.20 for 2 hours to park at the River Street MSCP.

Cllr Roger Rigby, who successfully campaigned for free parking initiatives on Saturdays and Sundays, said:

‘Something had to be done with the Queen Street car park given that it is rarely more than a third full and I welcome the proposal to introduce 2 hours free parking there every day. 

‘By contrast, I think it is bonkers for the Mayor to increase the standard 2 hour charges at the other multi-storey car parks to £1.90.  It is also wrong to target already hard-pressed commuters and the increase in on-street parking will do our small businesses no favours whatsoever. 

‘As a former small business owner, I know the overall parking charge package offered by the Council is beginning to hinder Bedford in attracting visitors to shop here instead of Northampton, Rushden and Milton Keynes which have all managed to keep charges low despite funding pressures.  The Mayor is strangling the goose laying the golden egg of Bedford town centre’s future success.’