Rhuthun/Ruthin has something to shout about this morning. In three hours' time, the cost of car parking in town will tumble and will remain so for a two-year pilot.
Compare the costs yesterday in the main short stay car parks with the charge today and shoppers & visitors basically get four hours of parking for the price of one. And, as far as we understand it, with the exception of Market Street, shoppers can come back after four hours and buy four more. If so, the £3.50 all-day charge is dead.
What's more, this at a time when rival Yr Wyddgrug/Mold is considering significant increases to its own car parking charges. Standard Yr Wyddgrug charges are currently either 20p for three hours or 50p for all day parking. But, media reports last Thursday indicate that there's broad Yr Wyddgrug agreement to increase this to 20p per hour for the first three hours and £1 for four hours or more. Love Lane, currently at 20p all day, would increase to 50p.
Our own comparison of free versus paid-for car parking would suggest that charges are less of an issue than perhaps people tend to think. But the trading community has been beating this particular drum for a few years now, particularly in the light of Yr Wyddgrug's bargain-basement charges, though planned increases to the East may weaken Rhuthun traders' case, as they have used the unusually low cost of parking at Yr Wyddgrug as some sort of benchmark. May be, now, that argument will reverse itself, with Yr Wyddgrug comparing itself to Rhuthun.
Perhaps we will finally be able to judge the effect car parking charges have on the local economy. Perhaps we will understand whether reductions bring more people into town, or not.
We may have to wait the full two years to see the results. This should ultimately express itself in terms of "regeneration"—a halt to shop closures; or dare we hope for an increase in the number & diversity of shops.
Of course, this altruism has to be paid for by someone. In this case, funding will be unavailable for other projects. But I doubt anyone will complain or be agin this popular decision. A real feel good story for the local economy.
*—proposals in the media on Thursday
**—officially
Compare the costs yesterday in the main short stay car parks with the charge today and shoppers & visitors basically get four hours of parking for the price of one. And, as far as we understand it, with the exception of Market Street, shoppers can come back after four hours and buy four more. If so, the £3.50 all-day charge is dead.
What's more, this at a time when rival Yr Wyddgrug/Mold is considering significant increases to its own car parking charges. Standard Yr Wyddgrug charges are currently either 20p for three hours or 50p for all day parking. But, media reports last Thursday indicate that there's broad Yr Wyddgrug agreement to increase this to 20p per hour for the first three hours and £1 for four hours or more. Love Lane, currently at 20p all day, would increase to 50p.
Our own comparison of free versus paid-for car parking would suggest that charges are less of an issue than perhaps people tend to think. But the trading community has been beating this particular drum for a few years now, particularly in the light of Yr Wyddgrug's bargain-basement charges, though planned increases to the East may weaken Rhuthun traders' case, as they have used the unusually low cost of parking at Yr Wyddgrug as some sort of benchmark. May be, now, that argument will reverse itself, with Yr Wyddgrug comparing itself to Rhuthun.
Perhaps we will finally be able to judge the effect car parking charges have on the local economy. Perhaps we will understand whether reductions bring more people into town, or not.
We may have to wait the full two years to see the results. This should ultimately express itself in terms of "regeneration"—a halt to shop closures; or dare we hope for an increase in the number & diversity of shops.
Of course, this altruism has to be paid for by someone. In this case, funding will be unavailable for other projects. But I doubt anyone will complain or be agin this popular decision. A real feel good story for the local economy.
| Car parking up to: | Rhuthun Yesterday | Rhuthun Today | Yr Wyddgrug Today | Yr Wyddgrug Future* |
| ½ hour | 10p | 10p | 20p | 20p |
| 1 hour | 50p | 50p | 20p | 20p |
| 2 hours | £1 | 50p | 20p | 40p |
| 3 hours | £1 | 50p | 20p | 60p |
| 4 hours | £3.50 | 50p | 50p | £1 |
| Al day | £3.50 | £3.50** | 50p | £1 |
**—officially
Tags:
Parking