Parking charges scare

And Hucknall members reacted angrily to an item in a report that suggested giving thought to putting the charges up.

The report was presented by the council's scrutiny committee into performance monitoring, which was worded: "The role of car parks in attracting people to town centres in the district is acknowleged.

"It is noted that the net cost per car-parking space is around 11p per day and also that parking charges have not been increased for five years.

"It is suggested that consideration be given to a modest increase in charges with a view to reducing the net cost per space to nil."

Council leader Coun Ken Creed (Lab), of Hucknall, said many motorists in Hucknall objected in principle to the present charge, even though it was only 20p.

"Since ample free parking became available at the new Tesco superstore, revenue from Piggins Croft car park has plummetted," he claimed.

"In Bulwell, only about 400 yards from the Hucknall boundary, Morrisons' superstore has a free car park and there is also lots of free parking in Bulwell centre. All this puts shops in Hucknall town centre at a big disadvantage."

Coun Creed said there were quite a few new members on the scrutiny panel who lacked in-depth knowledge of how sensitive the car-parking charges issue had proved in Hucknall.

Another Hucknall member, Coun John Wilmott (Lab), stressed a need for each of the council's car parks to be looked at individually.

The scrutiny committee chairman, Coun Jessie Parker (Lab), of Sutton, insisted that, despite the wording of the item, it was just a comment rather than a suggestion to consider raising the charges.