Under the North Northants Council plan to harmonise services across the area, parking arrangements are currently being reviewed. Parking charges are in force in both Corby and Kettering, but do not apply elsewhere.
Last month, Nene Herald initiated a survey to gauge people’s attitude to retaining free parking in Wellingborough. Of the respondents, 96% supported retaining free parking.
Nene Herald has now carried out a survey in Rushden and got a similar result.
410 people responded, resulting in 97.5% supporting free parking in Rushden.
There were 111 comments. None supported removing free parking. Here is a representative sample
- “You mean the Town will die quicker.”
- “It’s a dead Town anyway.”
- “With Lakes having 5 hours free, it would finish both Rushden and Wellingborough town centre.”
- “The Law of Unintended Consequences. If Town has free car parking (Town Council owned car parks) and pay parking (Local Authority owned car parks) which ones will people use? So assuming that the town Council leaves its car parks free, those car parks will be congested and peopled will avoid the paid parking. Consequence the Town’s folk will notice how busy the free car parks are whilst the Local Authority fails to raise the revenue it was expecting.”
- “Nah, they will just park in my street more! I mean that park in the street anyway despite parking being free. And yes, I know it’s not illegal and people can park in unrestricted areas. Just saying it’s what happens.”
- “So it happens already so what you mean it will make it worse apart from the constraints that there are only so many cars that can park on any street. But this is not an either or situation. If there is a choice of parking for nothing or parking for free many will take the free option whether that be on the street or the car parks.”
- “Mine too,. It’s a nightmare.”
- “There are places you are allowed up to 2 hours shopping time and the penalty fine if you go over it. This is in Rushden I am ralting to, not the other towns.”
- “Correct, like ASDA and Waitrose. Parking is free, but conditioned to fair use. You are parked there to shop in those supermarkets and your length of stay in there is reasonable. However, this is completely related to Local Authority long-stay car parking that has been free of charge being reviewed with a view to starting to charge for parking.”
- “Parking charges are a rip off in the UK, Councils want people to visit their area for shopping and other events to help the local economy, yet visitors have to pay exorbitant parking charges for the previlege, we’ve been on holiday in Norfolk recently the parking charges were atrocious, but it isn’t called rip off Britain for nothing.”
- “Awnser is i.d cards for cars! Electronic tax disc’s and why not tax oxygen, people heavily should pay more!!! Labour are probably working on it as we speak!
- “I have no idea what any of that has got to do with our Reform led local authority proposing to charge for parking in local authority owned car parks. On taxation, I’m rather with Ab Fabs Patsy Stone, we are long overdue a stupidity tax.”
- “The Town is already dead with extremely limited access.”
- “The Town is dead already.”
- “I thought in Rushden was free anyway?”
- “Shouldn’t pay for parking anywhere in the country…we pay enough different taxes on car use as it is.”
- “Its about a mile and half from the furthest point to the town centre. I used to walk that to school when I was five. Just walk, you’ll be MUCH better for it.”
The above comment is factually incorrect. The furthest points in the Town Centre catchment are considerably more than 1.5 miles.
- “Try walking from Chelveston!”
- “to be fair it’s only 3.4 miles, distance is no problem to walk, it’s the road that’s the issue.”
- “Just street park and walk into town from there. Its not difficult”
- “Then back again carrying shopping. at neatly 70, grow up!”
- “At 70 3.4 mi will take two hours. That’s a 4 hour walking trip before you’ve walked shop to shop and bought your shopping.”
- Some people cant walk and have disabilities. They rely on this just to access the smallest trip to the high street for essentials”
- “What is there in Rushden to pay Parking for”
- “If you have to pay…The car parks will not be used so they will record this and there for beable to show that, so the sites can be approved and sold on for flats/ect.”
- “Harmonising the parking charges across the towns in NNC could be Ok if they harmonised what each town has to offer. The council has already stated that Corby and Kettering are the preferred retail destinations so why should Rushden, Wellingborough and Thrapston have to pay the same for parking.”
- “There is free parking but it’s a shame people still have to park on the pavement outside the shops.”
- “Agreed wellingborough is also starting parking charges it will also kill what’s left of wellingboughs trade”
- “It’s NNC that is suggesting parking charges across North Northamptonshire. Don’t think Wellingborough wants it either”
- “Introduce and people will just park in side streets further out thereby annoying residents who are then unable to park outside their houses.”
- “No one will pay as no one uses it.”
- “Therefore ASDA car park will then have restrictions put in place as people park there.”
- “Already has”
- “3 houses atm. I was thinking more No, Plate recognition? Needing to purchase from Asda etc. Reducing the 3 hours, only 90 mins at Lidl atm.”
- “Charge and what people shop will just divert to the lakes”
- “No chance people will pay. You’re avin a laff”
