In July 2012, following negotiations with Cornwall Council, Millbrook Parish Council signed a 99-year lease agreement for the operation and maintenance of Millbrook Car Park in West Street and the public toilets on The Parade. This asset “devolution” was led by former Cornwall Councillor George Trubody, following concerns that Cornwall Council intended to close the public toilets and dramatically increase the car parking charges.
Patchwork repairs to the car park surface have been carried out several times already, the most recent repair costing nearly £2000. Full resurfacing could cost as much as £100k. The Council needs to build up reserves for a new car park machine (costing approximately £5,000) and future surface repair/replacement. The car park machine fees have not changed since Millbrook Parish Council took over responsibility, although permit charges have been increased. It seems unfair that daily visitor parking has not also gone up yet, but before we can alter the car park daily charges the Council is required to carry out a consultation.
Your feedback is needed on the following:
Car Park Fees – proposed increase in car park fees for long terms stays (over two hours)
- I am in support of increasing the car park charges, so that the cost of maintaining the car park is absorbed by the users of the car park?
or - I am in support of not increasing the charges but adding maintenance costs to the precept so the costs would be built into your council tax charges?
Vehicle Size: Do you think there should be a vehicle size restriction for parking in West Street Car park?
- Yes, I support a vehicle size restriction for parking in West Street Car park.
- I do not support a vehicle size restriction for parking in West Street Car park.
Please comment below, or if you prefer you can email: enquiries@millbrook-pc.gov.uk
Yes to increasing the car park hourly charges to contribute to the maintenance costs, however, would be against extreme rises (particularly for permit holders who really have nowhere else convenient to park).
Thoughts may need to be turned towards converting some of the green space near the play park to additional parking as the car park is now on most days (even outside of the busy summer) full up. Don’t think size restriction would be fair to those who need their vans etc for work.
1. I vote for parking charges being increased. People who do not use the car park should not have to feel the pain of higher council tax to maintain it. Interested to know why not increase the ‘up to one hour’ rate as well as the longer stay – how many people who are not permit holders use the car park regularly for more than an hour? Would only changing the longer stay rates generate much more money?
2. Size restriction. It depends on what you mean by size restriction. Height? Length? Width? Tonnage? Is the aim to preserve space or preserve the car park surface? Perhaps some clarity needed here. Thanks!
It’s not very forward thinking to put a size restriction in on a bunch of counts. Those of us who live in the village and on west st, many who have vans and work locally, would be forced to park further out of the village ie along the roads towards Southdown, which is really far if you’re at the top of west st and does nothing for other residents.
More than that, west st/ the junction by the pub often gets blocked – at least 3 times this year already traffic has had to be diverted through the car park to get out of the village, a height restriction would stop that too so people would literally just be stuck.
Maybe fix the main problem which is that there’s not enough parking as it is rather than restricting and punishing those with larger vehicles, and maybe if there was a more regular and varied bus service many of us wouldn’t have to rely on our own transport to get in and out of a very isolated village.
Hi Charlotte, Many thanks for your comments. We are purely at Consultation stage. All feedback is welcome and will be collated in a report for the Council’s consideration.
Terrible idea to restrict more parking. Commercial vehicles are an important part of our local economy and infrastructure, why are hard working people made to suffer for the sake of fixing a problem that doesn’t exist?
Hi Josh, Many thanks for your comments. We are purely at Consultation stage. All feedback is welcome and will be collated in a report for the Council’s consideration.
Yes to raising car parking fees (those using the car park, especially visitors, should be supporting its maintenance).
No to adding maintenance costs to council tax/parish tax as this is not really fair for those without a vehicle who would be paying for a service they would never use.
All for a vehicle size restriction in West Street car park.
I agree with every point apart from the height restrictions. My livelihood depends on my van, i pay a permit fee monthly and live on West street.
Why must i be persecuted? I will be forced every day to try and find a space by the lake, do you really want to see nothing but battered builders vans throughout the village, rather than tucked away in a carpark, paying steady money to the council?
To put a size/height restriction on the car park would only force more vans/campervans on to on street parking, which already causes problems to traffic flow and visibility around the lake