Coining it in from car parks

CHESHIRE East Council (CEC) took nearly £750,000 in car park charges in its first six months in Macclesfield – with more than £300,000 coming from three town centre car parks.

Churchill Way topped the charts helping the council net more than £140,593.95, more than any other car park in the former borough of Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Knutsford and Macclesfield.

This was closely followed in Macclesfield by Duke Street – £100,911 – and the Grosvenor multi-storey, which earned CEC £87,697.

The grand total for the whole of the former Macclesfield borough clocked in at £1.3m.

Prices for the town’s spaces are between 80p and £1 for two to three hours. The cheapest is for 80p at car parks such as Gas Road and Hibel Road for the same time.

But CEC neighbours in Crewe have the choice of three free car parks, although prices for those which charge are similar to Macclesfield, normally £1 for up to two hours and £1.50 for up to three.

There have been calls to drop charges at set times in the town centre to boost trade during the recession.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on CEC, Councillor Ainsley Arnold, said parking fees have ‘historically been a cash cow for Macclesfield’. They have got to look slightly beyond to see how they can assist traders to see them though this recession.

"The proposals we put forward for free Saturday parking have not even been debated by cabinet yet. Some shops may just be hanging on by a thread."

A spokeswoman for CEC said: "There was a motion that went to council in July for free parking in Macclesfield on Saturdays and will go before cabinet in November. The money from car parks meets the costs of providing the services of the car parks and it helps to keep council tax low, which benefits everyone in Cheshire East. And it is ploughed straight back into frontline services ."

Total taken in car park charges (£):