CORNWALL Council has spent thousands of pounds replacing payment machines in three of its car parks after just five years of use.
The council has replaced pay-on-foot systems with pay-and-display machines in three Truro city centre car parks this year.
We made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to find out how much it had cost to replace the machines in Old Bridge Street, Garras Wharf and Moorfield car parks. We have now been told over £18,000 of taxpayers’ money was used to install the new machines, though the council was unable to tell us how much the original pay-on-foot charging systems cost or how much it was to remove them, which is likely to be thousands more.
The machines were all installed in 2019 and have been replaced this year. The installation at Garras Wharf has cost £5,966.51, Moorfield was £6,732.85 and Old Bridge Street £5,610.90; a total of £18,309.96. The upper decks of the Moorfield multi-storey were closed earlier this year after structural problems were discovered.
A council employee said in the FOI response: “The removal of the pay-on-foot (POF) machines hasn’t yet been costed and will be confirmed by April 2025. In terms of the remaining six POF car parks, there are currently no firm dates for removal of equipment or estimated costs for any future removal and installation.”
The news comes after the council made a U-turn to drop a controversial late charge of £31.50 in the Old Bridge Street car park.
As part of changes to how it manages a number of its car parks, the council is consulting the public to “return Old Bridge Street in Truro to a short stay car park and remove the £31.50 long stay charge”. The move has been slammed by former Mayor of Truro and current city councillor Bert Biscoe, who says the damage has already been done to Truro, exacerbated by many other parking woes in Cornwall’s capital.
Shop owners have previously accused Cornwall Council of “trying to bankrupt” the city following the tariff changes in the car park near Truro Cathedral. It has always been short stay but there was previously no extra charge if you parked longer than three hours – though you could be stung by a £25 fine.
The council changed the tariff on April 1 meaning that anyone parking in what is known locally as the “shoppers’ car park” will have to pay £31.50 if they stay longer than three hours between 9am and 6pm. The council made the move to dissuade a “significant number” of motorists “clogging up” the car park.
However, nearby traders and drivers who regularly use the car park have been vocal in their hatred of the policy.
Cllr Biscoe said: “Having imposed a draconian penalty for stays beyond three hours, which caused at least one incident to which the police had to be called, the council now appears to wish to reduce the maximum waiting time. There is no explanation as to why this is proposed – possibly, I guess, to bolster up the poor performance of the park and ride.
“So, in effect, the standard of service to the town provided by the car park will have been serially and severely eroded over the period of the past six months. A similar change has been introduced at Garras Wharf, the Viaduct Car Park (useless though it was) has been demolished, and the brand values of Truro are dominated by negative perceptions related to parking.”