Visiting motorists could be hit hard as source of resorts' cash

A PURGE on motorists visiting the Yorkshire Coast is planned as the private car-owning holidaymaker is targeted as a source of income to reduce the impact of Government spending cuts on local charge payers.

The annual review of parking in Scarborough and its sister resorts of Whitby and Filey has noted an increase in traffic to the seaside as the recession lessens its grip.

Now officials are recommending Scarborough Council boosts its parking income – already worth 4.6m a year – to offset the coming drop in Local Government’s income from central Government.

The aim is to avoid cuts in front line services and stinging increases in council tax bills. However, council bosses are also minded that the new approach is tempered by the need not to put off visitors by setting charges too high.

Yesterday the move sparked a warning from the AA that tourism areas such as Scarborough risk “killing the golden goose” if they put parking charges too far ahead of visitors’ convenience.

Scarborough looks at its parking charges annually as a matter of routine but a report to Scarborough Council leaders on parking reveals a new agenda to this year’s review.

Stuart Clark, parking and CCTV manager, said: “The borough council’s overall budget strategy is heavily reliant upon sustaining parking income, which is currently approaching 4.6m per annum.

“The head of finance has emphasised to members the need to generate additional income from the parking service in 2011/2012 in order to maintain the council’s budgetary position so as to avoid cuts in services or undesirable increases in council tax.”

One of the recommendations by officials is that charges be introduced for the months of October to February inclusive on those car parks which are currently free out of season.

Motorists will pay 1 an hour, 2 for four hours, or 3 for 24 hours in a move also expected to boost patronage of the Scarborough Park and Ride Service.

Introducing winter charging on selected car parks could bring in about 40,000 in extra income, said technical services director John Riby, although this may be reduced by parking bays standing empty as a result of charges.

Some of the income will be used towards the cost of replacing all of the ticket machines in the council’s off-street car parks, some of which are 20 years old, the report adds.

However, the AA said while it welcomed parking service improvements through charges, it was concerned when the fees were being used to prop up local taxation instead of being spent on road improvements.

A spokesman for the motoring organisation added: “It is right the parking pays its way in terms of paying for parking infrastructure, and some of the money raised goes to improving car parks and machines.

“It is wrong when parking charges begin to subsidise council tax – very wrong. Some charges are technically not allowed to be spent on things which are not transport-related projects, and some people think that connection is a sensible one.

“Because we know many councils are going to be experiencing vicious cuts they will all be eyeing up parking as a source of extra income but if you go too far you kill the golden goose – as all sensible tourism and business partners are aware.”

Coun David Jeffels, a guiding light of the local tourism industry, said visitors were now visiting the resort in substantial numbers long after summer was over. “The A64 gets busier and busier. It is still busy at every time of day in both directions. With half term coming up it will probably pull a few people in. If we get some decent weather next week it will be a real fill-up.”