Car park profits down this year in Lyme Regis (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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Car park profits down this year in Lyme Regis
10:00am Thursday 4th October 2012 in Lyme Regis By Rene Gerryts
CAR parking revenue was down last year and is down even further this year, Lyme Regis town councillors heard.
Coun Daryl Turner warned a strategy and policy committee: “We will have to be extremely careful setting next year’s budget.”
So far this year revenue is down by more than £33,600 from a total figure last year of £234,850, councillors on the committee heard at their recent meeting.
Coun Rikey Austin said: “It tells us that we are not getting as many people in to the town.”
Coun George Symonds said there was the technology to find out more information from parking tickets.
He said: “It would be very helpful if Lyme Regis Town Council had that information available; how long people stayed for, what days they are in for, what times of day they are in.”
Coun Mark Gage said it would be very useful to get and it would be worth looking into.
Coun Lucy Campbell said the wettest season on record would make a huge difference and that was something that couldn’t be planned for.
Coun Micheala Ellis said there was also the Olympic effect.
Coun Anita Williams added: “What worries me is that August is also a long way down.
“The income for season tickets has also gone up by £2,000 as I recollect, and season tickets are quite cheap.
“What numbers are we talking about, how many season tickets are we going to issue?”
Town clerk Mike Lewis said making season tickets less attractive to buy might be one option the council could look at when it reviews its charges.
Coun Austin said until they have the information from tickets the council could not know whether season tickets affected anything.
“What we don’t want to do is discourage people from buying tickets,” she said.
Coun Turner said: “I don’t think there is any way we are going to recover in the next few months.”
Coun Symonds asked why there was such a difference this year in income from parking penalties.
“Are they not being pursued so rigorously?”
He was assured the council was and that it was a combination of less people using the car parks and the message getting through that people had to buy tickets.
