A call for free parking at the new Stafford Leisure Centre for its first few months of opening is being made by Labour councillors.
They have also suggested that as an alternative people using the leisure centre could be reimbursed for the cost of their parking fees.
But at last night’s meeting of Stafford Borough Council’s planning and regeneration committee members voted to support the introduction of parking charges at the same level as other town centre council car parks for the centre car park off Lammascote Road.
The free-parking plea will now be considered by the council’s leisure scrutiny committee.
Councillor Malcolm Millichap said that suspending the charges would help encourage more people to use the new £15 million centre, which replaces the Riverside Recreation Centre, when it opens in the spring.
“Everyone on the council wants to see the leisure centre is a success. To do that we have to do everything we can to encourage people to use it,” he added.
He also warned people would try to dodge the parking charges by using the nearby Asda car park. he urged the cabinet to reconsider the introduction of the charges.
Councillor Sue Francis said if the car park was made free it would be used by shoppers. By having charges it would ensure it was used by leisure centre users.
Councillor Andrew Harp said there were already parking charges in place at the Riverside Recreation Centre.
Councillor Ralph Cooke accused the Tory controlling group of being mean in imposing the charges.
He said most other Staffordshire authorities did not charge for leisure centre car parks and claimed that at Westbridge Park Leisure Centre in Stone a system to reimburse parkers was in place already. He urged the cabinet to consider doing the same in Stafford.
“If someone who is not using the centre parks there then they should be charged for taking up a valuable space,” he added. Leisure centre users faced being hit by a rise in charges three times in just six months.
Following a rise in October another rise was to come in on April 1 and then the car parking charge would rise as well.
2 Comments
Charge for parking, and I simply wont use the facilty. That is why I dont currently use Riverside. With Parking charges it makes financial sense to pay to be a member of a private gym like Esporta. The council were GIVEN this facility, it hasnt cost them a penny! Typical tory led Stafford Borough Council show their true colours. Sheer greed. Shame Judith Dalgarno wasnt got rid of, she’s stale and cant be trusted to get anything right.
If people are using the facilities at the centre then there should not be a charge.