Basingstoke town centre car parks are under threat as the Tories look to cram even more flats into the town centre.  Loss of public parking in the town will lead to;

  1. Higher Council tax as the Council lose its car park income.
  2. Queues and traffic jams at peak times as people look for a parking space.
  3. Higher parking charges as private car park owners cash in on the high demand 
  4. Less shops, as customers turn their backs on Basingstoke, retailers will leave
  5. More inconsiderate parking in residential areas, restricting access for emergency vehicles.

In the past 7 years over 1000 homes have been built in the town centre area.  Few have parking for all of the residents, let alone their visitors. The Council should be looking to increase parking provision for town centre residents and visitors.  We need to send a clear message to the Council that there should be no reduction in the number of parking spaces anywhere in the town centre.  You can do so by signing this petition.

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Background Information.
The Council is required to show it has identified enough land for housing for the next 5 years.  In order to do this, consultants were called in to draft a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (known as Shlaa).  The SHLAA was drawn up as a list of available sites where homes could be built in Basingstoke and Deane over the next 0-15 years.  From this list the Council will pick the sites that will provide homes or the next generation.
This Shlaa included all of the surface public car parks at the 'top of town'.  Including The short stay car parking behind MacDonald’s and Weatherspoon's (Albert Yard and Castons Yard) The Car park next to the former Webbers Site (New Rd and Castons) and the car park behind the Halifax bank off Wote Street (Central car park)  Also included is the Brinkletts car park on Winchester Rd (Basingstoke’s first charged for car park'
The Shlaa has already been through several stages and the public car parks have remained included in this shlaa document.  The Conservative administration could have removed the car parks at any time, but have chosen not to.
The Council leader was asked whether he was committed to saving the car parks in a meeting last year and declined to answer.
The Car parks are owned by the Council.  It is entirely up to the administration whether they are 'available' for development.
The Shlaa process makes it clear that sites should only be in the shlaa if the Council is confident that sites will be developed in the future.  In July this year Councillors were finally given the opportunity to get sites reviewed.  The Liberal Democrats asked for the Car park sites to be looked at to establish once and for all that the Council is committed to maintain or increase parking in the town centre. 

On 10/08/2010, the P&I commitee voted not to re-consider the car park sites.  Further to this a car parking strategy report was put before the Economic Prosperity comittee.  Again many of the car parks were considered developable.  Although the Council has indicated to broadly maintain the number of car parking spaces, this is not enough.  They have not ruled out a reduction in car parking numbers.
Liberal Democrats believe it is important to develop the right homes in the right places.  The town centre has not had any family homes with gardens built in recent years and already has a high number of flats.  No much needed car parking spaces should be lost for more flats.
 

 
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