Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee will look to introduce paid parking across the whole area. This will include Alsager’s Fairview Car Park.
Under the proposals, charges will be introduced in most car parks which are currently free to use.
The Council wants to be fair and consistent. It believes this cannot be achieved unless the same charges apply to everyone.
Over 8000 people rejected the proposed charges during a consultation. 1262 of the rejections came from Alsager.
The council is proposing to keep its ‘free after 3pm’ initiative as a result of the consultation. This will now apply to car parks where charges are being introduced.
Chair of the Cheshire East Council highways and transport committee, Councillor Craig Browne said the council is facing financial pressure from: “construction inflation, high interest rates and costs incurred in petitioning against HS2.”
He continued: “Doing nothing and sticking with the same parking regime is not only something that we cannot afford to do but would mean that we continue with the inherited, unfair legacy where some of our residents pay to park in their local town centre, and others do not.”
He added that free car parks cost the council around £400,000 per year.
The meeting to discuss the proposals to approve the charges will take place on January 25.
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