But petition is launched to have controversial meters removed from Ridgeway shopping centre

Newly

District Shopping Centre in Ridgeway have sparked great controversy and have led to a petition calling for their removal.

Some have welcomed the meters, hoping it will deter people who, it is said, effectively use the site as an unofficial park and ride and thus will free up space for genuine shoppers.

Others though feel it is the thin edge of the wedge which will ultimately result in free parking being scrapped and charges brought in for parking, something which would most likely reduce the number of shoppers and be highly detrimental to businesses in Ridgeway.

The new meters appeared in the car parks by the Co-op and Iceland in January, with three car parking spaces being lost to accommodate the siting of some of the new machines.

Currently the machines are covered over but they will be brought into operation within a matter of weeks. Once operational motorists will have to insert their registration numbers into the machines on arrival to get two free hours of parking (or three hours for blue badge holders).

Anyone not putting in their number or overstaying their time is liable to receive a fixed penalty.

Although the two free hours of parking will still be available many are sceptical of the motivation behind the installation of the machines at a time when the council is struggling to plug a multi-million pound deficit in its finances.

Their concerns are shared by senior Plympton Councillors Patrick Nicholson (Ind, Plympton St Mary Ward) and Terri Beer (Ind, Plympton Erle Ward) who have launched a petition against the installation of the car parking machines.

The petition, which the councillors have distributed to Ridgeway traders for customers and staff to sign, is calling on ‘Plymouth City Council to remove the recently installed car parking machines at the Ridgeway Shopping Centre Car Parks until the Council undertakes a full risk and impact assessment on adjacent Health Care Facilities, Harewood House and Harewood Park, local schools and neighbouring residential communities and makes a final decision on whether to introduce District Centre Car Parking Charges.’

Cllr Patrick Nicholson said: “Although Plympton St Mary Councillors objected to the car parking modernisation proposals last September, we have only received an acknowledgement and insufficient consideration has been given to the impact on adjacent critical health care facilities at Mudge Way, the Plympton Clinic where the District Nursing team operate or Harewood House and the adjacent Cricket, Bowling and Tennis Clubs. These machines should be removed and used to upgrade equipment in our City Centre car parks.”

Cllr Terri Beer added: “Plymouth City Council has been telling us for months that they have a budget deficit, but they can afford to purchase and install these expensive machines to enforce the current two hour free period.

“Although the car parks are very busy, we haven’t had any major issues with visitors overstaying their time and this action confirms the Conservative Council’s intention to start charging for car parking in the Ridgeway Car Parks which Cllr Nicholson and I believe will have a detrimental impact on Ridgeway, Plymouth’s most successful district shopping centre.”

One of those perplexed at the public’s adverse reaction to the parking meters is Alderman Glenn Jordan who served as a Chaddlewood councillor for 19 years.

In a posting on social media he said: “I don’t get it. This car park has always been two hour parking max and people used to complain to me why are people parking there all day, why aren’t the council enforcing this, now the council is to enforce the two hours parking people are up in arms and against it. You either want to be able to park while visiting the shops or you want to lose the local shops and just have supermarkets, your choice.”

(story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)