Car Parking and traffic management in Midhurst

1.27.13pm GMT Wed 7th Feb 2007

The Conservative controlled District Council has spent £14,000 to assess the economic impact of introducing car parking charges in Midhurst.

This is despite the fact the scale of charges is extremely modest: 20p for two hours, 50p for up to five hours and £1 for all day parking.

It was clear that the Conservatives were more concerned about the political impact of introducing car park charges in Midhurst than solving the traffic management problems. Consultants had already been employed devising a traffic management scheme that led to the proposed charges.

Commonsense says these modest charges will have nil impact on the economic viability of Midhurst.

Following the unilateral decision of the police to withdraw traffic warden cover in Midhurst, the introduction of car parking charges, as part of a wider programme of traffic management for Midhurst, has become unsustainable. However, it is clear the Conservatives' judgments have been driven by political considerations in the run up to the elections not the long term needs of Midhurst.