1:23pm Monday 3rd August 2009
By Peter Magill
TOWN centre parking will remain free in a bid to help traders in Hyndburn battle back against the credit crunch, a council leader has pledged.
Parkwise wardens will disappear from the streets of Lancashire this September, as the National Car Parks deal with Lancashire County Council expires.
And while an NCP offshoot will deal with on-street parking from this autumn, each county borough must make its own arrangement for its car parks.
Deals have been struck by Blackburn with Darwen and Chorley councils for parking firm Legion to manage their off-street spaces.
And an amnesty has been announced by neighbouring Rossendale, for town centre parks in Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Bacup and Whitworth, where charges have been scrapped for the next 18 months at least.
The valley’s disc parking scheme will be scrapped and shoppers and visitors are being asked to use the free bays sensibly.
But the first area to ban wardens from car parks was Hyndburn, amid constant criticism concerning over-zealous attendants. Town hall chiefs are adamant, while they remain in talks with a number of firms overproviding off-street ward-ens, that the free parking regime will continue.
Council leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: “It has been around three years now since we scrapped our disc parking scheme and made parking free. And I have always said that while there is a Conservative administration in Hyndburn that this policy will continue.
“We want to encourage people to visit Accrington and our other centres and we believe that free parking will help in this regard.
“It is good to see that other boroughs in East Lancashire, like Rossendale, are following our lead.”
The off-street parking issue is still being discussed by councillors in Burnley and Ribble Valley.
Meanwhile Pendle council has asked for more information on a joint package drawn up by procurement specialists Team Lancashire, on behalf of the districts, offering cheaper administration and parking ticket costs.
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