Park for free after council admits error
Drivers can park for free on Shrewsbury town centre streets for the next three weeks after red-faced Shirehall officials today admitted they had made a legal blunder. Motorists will be able park for free on Shrewsbury town centre streets for the next three weeks after Shirehall officials today admitted they had made a legal blunder. Shropshire County Council has suspended on-street parking payments with "immediate effect" while it sorts out "formalities" relating to increased charges brought in last April. The clanger, affecting 17 streets, could cost the authority as much as £15,000 in lost revenue. Charges rose from 60p and 70p per half-hour and the increase was included in the council's budget proposals for this year. But officers have only just discovered that they failed to put in place the necessary Notice of Variation before the price increases took effect. Anyone with a valid ticket for an on-street parking space issued since April 1 can take it to the Raven Meadows car park office which will refund the difference in the charges. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
Motorists will be able park for free on Shrewsbury town centre streets for the next three weeks after Shirehall officials today admitted they had made a legal blunder.Shropshire County Council has suspended on-street parking payments with "immediate effect" while it sorts out "formalities" relating to increased charges brought in last April.
The clanger, affecting 17 streets, could cost the authority as much as £15,000 in lost revenue.
Charges rose from 60p and 70p per half-hour and the increase was included in the council's budget proposals for this year.
But officers have only just discovered that they failed to put in place the necessary Notice of Variation before the price increases took effect.
This order will come into force 21 days from publication tomorrow, and until September 3 payment machines will remain switched off and covered up with bags.
Hugh Dannatt,the council's group manager for traffic and highway engineering, said: "The loss of income to the County Council during this suspension of on-street parking charges will be around £12,000 to £15,000."
The streets affected are Beeches Lane, Belmont, Castle Gates, Castle Street, Chester Street, Claremont Street, College Hill, Fish Street, Mardol, Princess Street, Roushill, St Chad's Terrace, St Mary's Place, Wyle Cop, Priory Road, Quarry Place and Victoria Avenue.
Anyone with a valid ticket for an on-street parking space issued since April 1 can take it to the Raven Meadows car park office which will refund the difference in the charges.
Penny Spencer, the county council's director of economy and environment, said: "We deeply regret our error and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
"We would like to emphasise that people can get a refund for the difference in charges if they have a valid ticket."
This is the council's second parking charges gaffe in Shrewsbury. Earlier this summer motorists enjoying a parking free-for-all after it emerged that officials had left it too late to receive approval for new traffic regulation orders following completion of the £1.5 million town centre enhancement scheme.