23 November 2023
I know parking is often a contentious issue, and some of the recent changes to car parking charging have caused concern.
Swale are currently consulting on a draft parking policy, so this is an opportunity to have your say, by emailing comments to policyteam@swale.gov.uk
There are always competing considerations around car use so I would encourage people to take a wider view: car parking and road space are always going to be limited, and the appearance of free use of empty roads conjured up in every car advertisement needs to be recognised as an illusion.
Car parking charges form an important part of the Council's income, so we will also need to balance this against the fact that for some people car use and car parking is unavoidable, especially given the state of public transport.
However, more use of public transport is a vital part of reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and if car parking charges are set too low, then this further tips the cost-balance against choosing to leave the car behind if you have that option.
There are also possibilities of using car parks to encourage travel options beyond conventional cars: how much space should be given to electric charging points or cycle/ motorcycle parking ?
I hope this gives some food for thought. The draft policy can be found on the Swale Council website here: https://swale.gov.uk/news-and-your-council/consultations/draft-parking-policy
Alastair Gould
Promoted by T.Valentine on behalf of A.Gould & R.Lehmann (Swale Green Party) PO Box 78066, London, SE16 9GQ
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