Council to consider creating extra parking spaces in Stamford
South Kesteven District Council are looking at ways to provide additional parking
A council is looking at ways to provide additional parking in a town following concerns that there aren’t enough spaces available.
Members of South Kesteven District Council’s finance and economic overview committee heard that the authority is carrying out a ‘feasibility study’ to look at ways to provide additional parking capacity in Stamford.
At a meeting on Tuesday, March 10, Coun Gareth Knight (Conservative – Grantham Barrowby Gate) raised concerns that he often struggles to find a place to park in the town.
He said: “I mean I never go to Stamford to shop ever. I love going to Stamford, it’s a really nice town.
“But I never go there because I can’t be bothered driving around for two hours trying to find a parking space.”
Coun Knight went on to suggest that the district council could be “undercharging” for parking in Stamford and that increasing the fees at car parks which are at “full capacity” could help to free up additional parking spaces.
He added: “If you take the general view that a car park should be 70 to 80% full as the optimum level, so there’s always the room for people to come in and park up but equally you have it as full as you can be, then surely we’re undercharging for parking in Stamford and possibly in Watergate (Grantham) and Guildhall Street (Grantham) as well if they’re up to capacity.
“We need to be lowering parking charges in the car parks that are underutilised because having a 100% full car park at any time of the day or week is not a good thing.”
“It means that council’s losing revenue and it drives people insane.”
A proposal to reduce the cost of season tickets and parking charges at Wharf Road car park in Grantham and Cattlemarket car park in Stamford was also discussed at this meeting.
In response, Coun Cleaver said: “I’m pleased to announce that we will be conducting a feasibility study into adding additional capacity in Stamford, given that our car parks there are operating at full capacity on Fridays and Saturdays.”
Coun Cleaver went on to explain that the study will come up with a series of possible solutions to tackle the issue.
He added: “We are doing a feasibility study, and obviously, if you’re doing a feasibility study and you look at additional capacity, you will look at all possible solutions as part of that.
“So, at this stage, we’re not ruling anything out, but clearly we need extra capacity and we will see what the professionals come up with when we do that feasibility study.”
The district council is developing a series of proposals to tackle the issue and will come back with its recommendations at a later date.