Car park price fury

The revised charges - due to come into force from 28th July - will see up to a 25 per cent hike for an all day visit in Bassetlaw.

Visitors to Worksop’s car parks believe Bassetlaw Council are discouraging them from coming into the town.

But the authority say the new charges are still significantly lower than those of neighbouring authorities.

Manton resident Roy Hopkinson, 80, said he uses the Town Hall car park regularly for short stays.

“I use the car park for going to the doctors surgery around the corner regularly,” he said. “I don’t want to be paying more when sometimes I only need an hour.”

Long stay car parks will no longer offer an hour’s stay for 50p. Instead, Mr Hopkinson and others will have to pay £1 for up to two hours stay.

“I’ll still use it because it’s the car park I use but it’s ridiculous,” he added.

Carol Lavia, 62, from Rayton Spur, in Worksop, said the hike was ‘unnecessary’.

“It’s a lot of money. People will not want to come here. They will go somewhere else,” she said.

“I will go anywhere as long as I don’t have to pay. I might use the bus. It’s rare I come into Worksop now.”

Elaine Naylor, 41, works with people with learning difficulties in Worksop.

“The council should be keeping prices lower to keep people coming into the town,” she said.

“I use the car parks for work. I have to bring people I work with into town regularly for activities and we encourage them to become part of the community.”

“It just means it will cost more.”

Worksop’s only short stay car park is on Queen Street.

Revised changes mean the cost for an hour’s stay will drop from 60p to 50p, but a two hour stay will rise from 90p to £1.20.

Priorswell Road car park will offer visitors an hour’s parking for free, 50p for up to two hours and £3 for all day parking.

Bassetlaw Council say the overall changes will mean an estimated income of £167,000, which will help towards paying maintenance costs as well as pay for free cinema parking.

“Following consultation earlier this year, we are changing our car parking charges,” said portfolio holder for community prosperity David Pressley.

“We have done this to remove anomalies such as short stay charges in long stay car parks, to provide a car park closest to the town centre as short stay only and to encourage an increased turnover of visits and prevent spaces being blocked by all-day parkers.”

“The price of an hour’s parking in our short stay car parks has actually decreased, whilst there are increases in parking of two hours or more.”

“Although these are the first increases since 2007, Bassetlaw’s car parking charges still remain significantly lower than those of neighbouring authorities.”

The car parks remain free of charge on Sundays and past 6pm. The council confirmed the three-for-two offer for loyalty card holders will also remain.