Local news
RPA Objection to Revised Parking Charges
RAYNES PARK ASSOCIATION LETTER TO MERTON COUNCIL
Letter of Objection to proposed revised parking charges
I am writing you on behalf of the Raynes Park Association to register our objections to the proposed rises in parking charges. To remind you the Raynes Park Association is an umbrella organisation comprising local residents’ associations, businesses and other local organisations within the Raynes Park area, cutting across several Wards.
i. Town Centre Parking Charges
While parking charges in town centres such as Raynes Park may be necessary to ensure efficient use of available spaces, we believe these charges should be kept as low as is reasonably possible to encourage the use of the services offered in our local town centre. We are therefore totally opposed to the proposal to double these charges which, we believe, will cause damage to our high street at a time when they can least afford it.
· LaToya Harding (The Daily Telegraph 10th April 2019) said “The number of high street shops closing remained at record highs last year as rising business rates, declining customer footfall and a shift to online shopping took their toll.” So regardless how you class the north side of Raynes Park, unless we do more to help small shopping streets the impact will continue until it is full of Charity shops and large national chains.
· The Retail Gazette Jan 2019 said “Over 175,000 jobs are set to be shed from the UK’s retail industry, while retail property values will slide amid the continuing increase in online shopping. A further 23,000 shops are expected to close this year, according to research conducted by real estate advisers Altus Group.”
· Thomas Heatherwick, the award-winning designer has remarked when it comes to retail “feeling is function”. Shopping should be a pleasant experience without unjustified financial obstacles. Why would a shopper drive to a retail area, spend time trying to find a parking place, and pay a large parking charge when they can sit comfortably at home and order supplies from a lap top.
What is Merton actually doing to enhance the public realm experience in Raynes Park? It is clearly not using the parking charge or CIL funding for environmental improvements. It is just another form of local taxation with the money going in one direction whilst failing to address the fundamental retail issues.
You will be aware that we have formally requested the setting up of a free 20-minute parking period in the part of Raynes Park on the north of the railway to match what is already provided on the south of the railway. Officers have indicated that the north is classed as a “Town Centre” whilst the south is not; we would suggest this is illogical. Some local businesses believe they need more than 20 minutes, but at least it is a start; businesses also need longer term parking for their own vehicles without the punitive business parking permits.
Whether or not you decide to introduce the increases, we ask you now urgently to review our request and to consider it favourably.
ii. Residents’ Parking Permits
We are appalled at the concept of the massive proposed increases in the charges for residents to obtain permits to park in the CPZ areas. When the London Borough of Merton consulted local residents on the setting up of CPZs it was understood that the charges would reflect the cost to the Council in managing the service. It seems to us wrong that the Council should unilaterally decide to increase the charge as a ‘tax’ against local people owning a car. This was never part of the consultation and we therefore question the Council’s authority to initiate this additional charge.
In any event, the increased charges are totally unfair as it is only applicable to people living within a CPZ. If you are lucky enough to have your own driveway or indeed live in a road with no controls, you will not be charged. Your vehicle will equally cause pollution, which appears to be the rationale behind this ‘tax’, yet having your own driveway makes you exempt. Furthermore, there is no equality across the whole of Merton, why should residents in the Mitcham not receive the same increase as in Wimbledon and Raynes Park, especially when one of the key planks in the argument for the increases are to reduce pollution; pollution does not suddenly stop in Mitcham surely? We suggest that the rationale has indeed been drawn up in what can only be seen a 'planned way' to increase taxes in areas where the ruling majority is not represented which might well be considered as maladministration.
We suggest that Resident’s Parking Permits:
i. In the interests of fairness be the same cost regardless of which part of the borough one lives.
ii. Increase proportionately with inflation and the actual cost of managing the service.
iii. Should be automatically renewed via direct debit to save staff time dealing with the complicated existing process requesting a pin then re-submitting and having to remember the renewal date.
iv. No longer require a paper notice, but rather linked to the vehicle registration and Parking Attendants be given devices that can scan the registration number and link to the Council’s database to confirm it can park in Zone situated. No doubt DVLC would be pleased if the Council were also able to catch unlicensed vehicles at the same time.
We trust you will consider all our suggestions favourably.
Chris Edge
Chairman RPA
