Car Parking Consultation
Posted by Philippa Morgan on 24 May 2018
The Trust objected to Order 1 in relation to the proposal to charge for parking in the Market Place, on three grounds:
(i) The Trust notes that Wiltshire Council proposes, under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Traffic Management Act 2004, to introduce charges in Devizes Market Place on Mon-Sat 8am-6pm (including Bank Holidays): 1hr - £0.70, 2hrs - £1.30 (maximum stay 2 hours) and Sunday 10am-4pm: £1.00 per visit. The Trust is opposed to this change. We wish to see the Market Place remain as a free car park at times when it is not being used as a market. We are also against any charges being imposed for the use of the Market Place for markets or community events.
(ii) The Order implies that the maximum length of stay in the Market Place will be extended from the present half hour at least to 2 hours. The recent limitation to 1/2 hour has worked well, much improving the availability of short-term (less than 1 hr) parking spaces in the town centre. The present proposal will severely reduce the availability of short-term parking, because the spaces in the Market Place will be so attractive to visitors generally, that most of them will buy and occupy the limited number of spaces for 1-2 hrs, substantially reducing the turnover of spaces. This will harm the convenience of short-term visitors, and the vitality and viability of the town centre.
(iii) Charging will presumably require the installation of some form of machines to take money and/or issue tickets. The installation of such machines will conflict with the statutory objective to conserve and enhance the special architectural and historic interest of this Conservation Area, and the objective to preserve the numerous listed buildings surrounding the Market Place, their features and their setting.