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Car Parking13th May 2008 The MRA have recently been successful in getting the parking charges reduced in Molesey. This is great news for anyone wanting to park and shop in Molesey. Parking in the Walton Road car park is now just 20p per hour during the week and FREE ON SATURDAY and SUNDAY. There is also a special 10p for half an hour charge during the week. Season tickets are available at a substantial discount and charges apply 10am - 6pm Monday to Friday. We hope that this victory will encourage much increased use of the Walton Road car park, help to reduce parking congestion in the residential roads around the shopping centre and benefit our small businesses, many of which have suffered badly since the present charges were introduced. 17th February 2007 The council have put up posters around Molesey telling residents that Car Parking changes start on 26th February. Charges will be payable in Walton Road car park, East Molesey. The car park is designated a "Town Centre Car Park". Charging is 0900 - 1800, Monday to Saturday, 40p per hour for up to 4 hours and £3.50 all day. Annual season tickets and residents permits are available. Details of the charges are here and the form to purchase a season ticket is available here. The original notification from Elmbridge Council is here. 16th February 2006 Don’t get a ticket! Enforcement of on-street parking regulations is a necessary precursor to the introduction of paid parking in the Walton Road car park. This will not happen before the middle of this year at the earliest, but will probably occur in late 2006 or early 2007. As MRA has made clear many times before, we very much regret that car park charging is coming to Molesey, not because of the 40p charge but because of the expected knock-on effects in the residential roads surrounding Molesey’s main shopping area and because of the likely effect on Molesey’s small businesses. However, Elmbridge has been one of the very few places (if not the only place) in this part of the country where car park charges have not been the norm for a long time. The income from the enforcement of restrictions and the future car park charges should, at least, help mitigate future council tax increases (which is what charging is really all about). 11th October 2005 Councillor Mike Axton's letter to the Molesey News & Mail following publication of their front page news story concerning car parking charges. To: The Editor, Molesey News and Mail Contrary to misleading reports in the Molesey News and Mail, it is only the Molesey Residents Association (MRA) that has consistently opposed the introduction of car park charges in the Walton Road car park. We remain concerned about the enormous potential for chaos, and see no evidence that the knock on effects have been properly thought through. The largest number of responses (by a long way) to last year's Council's consultation on car park charges came from the residents of Molesey, and the overwhelming majority were against the introduction of charges. In spite of these responses, and the continued opposition of MRA Councillors, the Council nevertheless voted last year to introduce charges in all its town and village centre car parks. We still think the Council's decision was wrong, but we have at least now received assurances that the introduction of charges in Molesey will be delayed until June 2006 at the earliest in order to take account of the concerns that have been raised. In the meantime we are pressing for action to sort out the chaotic on street parking arrangements before any charges are introduced. We must ensure that any solution improves the often gridlocked state of the main roads through Molesey, while providing for sufficient short-term parking to support our remaining small businesses. Yours Sincerely Michael Axton Elmbridge Councillor. Molesey South December 2004 Elmbridge Borough Council proposes to introduce car-parking charges across
the borough and is conducting a public consultation, closing on 14th January.
Now is your chance - your view will make a difference! The Council says that enforced car park charging will:
Molesey Residents Association says that charging in our car park will inevitably lead to:
The consultation period ends on 14th January. Comments - for or against - must be in writing, or on-line (Parking Charges Consultation - Feedback form). You can write separately, or complete the slip on the flier, stating your reasons, to Head of Environmental Care, Elmbridge B.C., Civic Centre, Esher, KT10 9SD. See the MRA
Car Parking flier, distributed in Molesey by the MRA. More information Elmbridge
Parking Charges Consultation Autumn 2004 As mentioned in our Spring Newsletter, Elmbridge Council is extending car park charging across the Borough and has engaged Consultants to suggest suitable schemes. For Molesey car park they propose 30p per hour or £3 all day, with a season ticket annual fee of about £230. They say this will free up car park spaces and produce income for Elmbridge Council to help keep down Council Tax. We don't object to paying the odd 30p and certainly support stricter enforcement of parking restrictions in Walton Road. BUT, with limited parking facilities in Molesey generally, what about the potential knock-on effects? 1. Charging in the car park is likely to drive all-day parkers out of the car park on to local residential streets. 2. Residents in those streets will probably complain at being unable to park outside their own houses and demand resident-only provision in those streets (now happening in Esher where car park charging has just been introduced). 3. If they are successful, resident-only bays will be installed in those streets, which will reduce the amount of parking available. The residents affected will have to pay a yearly fee, typically £60, which will give them the right to use the bays but it will not guarantee that one will be available. At the moment, part-pavement parking allows parking on both sides in many of these narrow roads. But if bays are marked out it is likely that parking will be possible only on one side of the road, again reducing the number of parking spaces available. 4. This will all have to be enforced with traffic wardens, more lines and, in general, a Kingston-type situation. We oppose the scheme because it seems to us that the likely result will be that everyone pays more for less parking spaces overall. But it should aid holding down Council Tax rates. We want to know local residents' views. Elmbridge Council's Cabinet will shortly consider the proposals and we understand a public consultation period will follow. |
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