Counting the cost

PLANS to introduce pay and display machines in Bingham’s carparks at a cost of £47,400 have been put forward.

The proposals are due to be discussed by Rushcliffe Borough Council’s place shaping and community engagement group on Monday.

A report suggests charging 30p for the first hour and £1 for up to two hours in the town’s three carparks — Newgate Street, Union Street and Needham Street — and for parking spaces around Market Place.

The borough council’s property and design manager, Mr Joe Timmins, said Newgate Street carpark would be the only one to allow the public to park for up to three hours, at a cost of £2.

The report recommends making long-term parking available at Bingham Railway Station and developing a pocket park and ride scheme.

The panel, set up last year to explore options for off-street parking in the borough, has analysed results of surveys in Bingham, Radcliffe, Keyworth and Rushcliffe Country Park.

The report said: “The parking surveys carried out in the three Bingham carparks during 2005 and 2007 indicated that these carparks are under pressure and the situation is likely to worsen when civil parking enforcement commences.”

The panel carried out consultation with the public, Bingham Town Council, the pressure group, Community Concern; Bingham’s county councillor, Mr Martin Suthers; and a representative of the town’s traders.

The report said: “In general the consultees from Bingham and Radcliffe agreed the carparks should become short stay and that some form of enforcement should be present.

“The consultees also requested parking should be free or that a nominal charge should apply for short-term parking and that higher parking costs should apply for longer stay.”

But the report said a suggestion allowing health centre visitors to park for free was not possible because the centre did not want to administrate free passes.

Mr Timmins said the total cost of setting up the scheme in Bingham, Radcliffe, Keyworth and Rushcliffe Country Park was expected to be £73,100, which includes installation of ticket machines and signage.

He said the annual running costs would be £165,429.

The panel also considered providing a long-stay carpark on the former allotment site opposite Butt Field at a cost of £744,000, which did not include the cost of buying the land.

But the report said the police had raised concerns over security and felt the carpark would need an attendant on site during opening hours.

It was agreed the construction costs and extra security measures would be excessive and the panel decided to look at other options.

The first option was for borough council officers to work with Nottinghamshire County Council to develop a pocket park and ride scheme where people could leave their cars in pub or village hall carparks and catch the bus.

Another option was to form a partnership with Network Rail to provide long-term parking at the station because there are plans for substantial improvements to the site by 2010.

The panel will present their report to the place shaping and community engagement group.

If agreed, the recommendations will be submitted to cabinet for approval.