Somerset Council has refused to rule out introducing parking charges in Wincanton, despite requests for clarity from local councillors.
In a written question to a Somerset Full Council meeting on Wednesday 16th July , Wincanton Councillors Lucy Trimnell and Tom Power asked the Liberal Democrat administration to confirm two points:
- That no parking charges would be introduced in Wincanton’s town car parks; and
- That Wincanton Town Council would not be required to pay more in order to keep parking free for local residents.
In a written response, Councillor Richard Wilkins, Lead Member of Transport, said, “We are not able to provide you with any reassurance.”
He went on to say that Wincanton Town Council can continue paying to keep parking free, but only if their payment fully covers the cost of operating and maintaining the car parks.
Further discussions with town and parish councils are planned for later in the year, but no timeframe has been confirmed. The current arrangement, where Wincanton Town Council pays to maintain free parking, could see revised charges introduced to reflect estimated income loss - potentially forcing the Town Council to raise its precept, leading to higher council tax bills for residents.
In a joint statement Councillors Lucy Trimnell and Tom Power said:
“The Town Council has already been paying Somerset Council to keep parking free in Wincanton. We now face the very real prospect of being asked to pay even more, or lose free parking altogether. Either outcome risks hitting local taxpayers and hurting our town centre economy.”
The original February parking charges report presented to the Council’s Corporate and Resources Scrutiny Committee acknowledged that some parish councils may continue paying to offset the introduction of charges, and that this figure may need to be revised to reflect the income Somerset Council would otherwise have expected to collect.
