A SHOCKED tradesman says a ‘dishonest’ 400 per cent increase in parking dispensations in Warwickshire is hurting his business.
Charges for tradespeople to park in restricted spaces in the county have risen from £5 a day, or £15 a week, to a flat rate of £15 a day – meaning the price to park for a five-day working week is now £75.
Des Way, who owns and runs Rugby-based decorating and property maintenance firm Man Friday, says he was astonished when faced with the new charges while on a job with no unrestricted parking nearby.
He said: “I took a hit on my profit margin, as the quote had already been accepted. I simply cannot absorb this increase and will have to pass it onto my customers in the future.”
Des, who has plied his trade around the town since he started the business in 2016, says the fee rise deters small businesses like his from operating in the county.
He added: “It seems to be a tax on work, and is morally wrong. It penalises the customer, to no benefit to my business or the people of Warwickshire.
“It seems a dishonest way of raising funds by penalising tradespeople, like myself, who have no choice but to park in these areas.
“Parking restrictions are in place for good reason – to stop the abuse of limited parking spaces. A more honest approach might have been to increase penalties for those that abuse the system.”
A Warwickshire County Council (WCC) spokesperson said the increase aimed to free up spaces and make it easier for tradespeople to find parking to load and unload their vehicles.
They said: “There is currently a shortage of available spaces with vehicles staying longer than necessary. The new rate is intended to discourage drivers from using parking bays for longer term parking where they do not need to be there.”
WCC said it had received regular complaints about shortages of parking bays caused by vehicles misusing parking dispensations.
The spokesperson added: “Previous rates were facilitating high levels of misuse, incentivising people to park for longer periods of time, thereby taking parking spaces away from residents or visitors.
“The new charge aims to correct this potential misuse and to encourage drivers to consider parking where a dispensation is not required. This will therefore help to free up pay and display, limited wait or permit bays for their intended use.
“Businesses and tradespeople carrying out work for residents will still be able to unload or load goods within parking zones without being expected to pay a dispensation. Tradespeople also have the option of using the resident’s Visitor Permit, if they have one, while carrying out work on their property.”
Residents eligible for Visitor Permits can apply at https://tinyurl.com/2jvumpy8.
Visit maps.warwickshire.gov.uk/tro for a map of parking restrictions in Warwickshire.
