COUNCILLORS have raised concerns about plans to offload car parks in Newquay to new management.

Cornwall Council is proposing to transfer Albany Road, Belmont Road, Newquay, Dane Road, Tregunnel and Watergate Bay in a bid to save money.

Councillors Joanna Kenny and John Fitter are among those who have voiced fears residents and visitors could end up paying more.

Cllr Fitter put forward the idea that Newquay Town Council could operate the car parks to ensure local control remains.

Cornwall Council’s economic growth scrutiny committee will decide whether to endorse the disposal of the car parks at a meeting on Tuesday, December 10.

Cllr Kenny said: “Cornwall Council is now proposing to outsource to Cormac all of our coastal car parks – including what’s left of Tregunnel, Belmont, Dane Road, Albany and Watergate leaving only the central car parks including the Manor, St Georges Road, Mount Wise and Fore Street.

“The reason being, apparently, they want to put in automatic parking control, something that neither Cornwall or town councils are permitted to do.

“Just wait for the complaints to start flooding in, as they do with other automatically controlled private car parks. Not a good look for our town.

“My concern is that this takes the control of parking charges outside the control of local councillors and the public.

“I gather they are already talking about winter charging at Tregunnel.

“I made that free in winter originally on the basis that nobody used it and not worth the bother. Not strictly true as often used for community stuff and support for business parking out of season.

“But I fear for the free winter charging at those car parks like Belmont and Dane which are only used by residents. And I’d guess the post 4pm free parking that Geoff Brown and I fought so long to get will be at risk.

“And bearing in mind that officers indicated to Cabinet that the reason central car parks had to stay under direct control because that was how they could ensure they continued as car parks, does this mean that we could be looking at these prime sites near the coast being developed?”

Cllr Fitter in correspondence to Cornwall Council added: “I regret being not able to adhere to the very limited time given for members to feedback their view, but I, as you would understand wished to consult with other stakeholders and members of the community I represent, including Newquay Town Council, being this car park is within their parish.

“The universal view from my consultations is that this is something that cannot be supported.

“I do not wish to discuss in detail the reasons that have been put forward as to why the council wish to take this route, except to say that it does indicate to me a failure in management.

“Instead of addressing this failure in a proactive way that will result in still retaining Cornwall Council owned car parks under our direct control, we seek to pass responsibility and de facto ownership to some external company, based out of Cornwall, who will I am sure address any perceived revenue short falls in a way that will lack any form of community consultation and will merely take yet more money out of the pockets of the long suffering members of the our community for the benefit of some external company.

“The Watergate Bay car park is a well-used car park, as you will be aware at the eastern end it is grass along with a 45-degree slope.

“Part of this area has been retained for nature and I have concern that any change of management might involve removing this area in the aim of seeking more parking spaces, as such it is not suitable to be included in this tendering process

“From the western end running east southeast through the car park we have military infrastructure running underground to the Military Base at RAF St Mawgan, on occasions the MOD have had to take over part of the car park to attend to essential maintenance.

“Because of this, in the interest of our responsibility to help maintain a vital element in UK and NATO defence we must keep total control and management of this car park so not to place at risk our clear duty of care in this matter, this makes it unsuitable to be included in this tendering process

“Prior to the new unitary Authority in 2008 senior members of Restormel Council were in discussions with Newquay members of that authority, with the undertaking that this car park would be passed to Newquay Town Council.

“This was halted by instructions issued by persons who were dealing with the formation of the new Cornwall Council unitary authority.

“The question I asked is why this transfer to Newquay Town Council cannot now take place, after all the reason it was halted in 2008 was because it was felt the new authority required it, as that is no longer the case it should now be passed to Newquay Town Council.

“The car park needs our Cornwall Council management or that of Newquay Town Council, especially given the important part it plays during the Boardmasters, by kind permission of the Authority we allow pedestrian traffic from one of the Boardmasters field to come through the car park to allow them a safe access to the beach. We need to continue to manage this in the interest of public safety.

“This car park needs to be managed in a way that recognises that first an fore most it is a community car park, it is part of the community that makes up the Bay and Tregurrian, we need to ensure that when local people from Newquay and St Mawgan come to the Bay, they do so because it is where the community meets and not be priced out of that pleasure.

“I certainly do not want them priced out of something they have enjoyed for numerous years, and by placing this car park under the control of an external party this is what will happen.

“If the intention is still to proceed, I would respectfully ask that I am further consulted on another matter that has been brought to my attention, which has a bearing on any handing over of control to a third non-council party.”