Bank Holiday pay and dismay

Photo: Hayley Coles

Councillor Peter Winkler - Bank Holiday Pay and Dismay

Conservative councillor Peter Winkler is asking Rochdale Council  parking services department to waive parking fees on council run car parks over the bank holiday weekend. 

Over the last few years business owners in Rochdale have seen some of the most difficult trading condition for decades. Many have been forced to close and those remaining need all the help and support that we can offer them.

Despite everything though Rochdale still has a lot of fantastic independent retailers and this bank holiday weekend is a perfect opportunity families and shoppers to come into the town centre and support our local businesses.

On recent bank holidays there has however been some confusion over the charges for parking in Rochdale’s council-run car parks. The assumption that parking is free throughout the weekend, including the Monday, has led to some shoppers receiving unexpected parking fines.

Whilst parking tariffs are displayed in all the council-run car parks I believe that the assumption that parking is free is probably is a genuine mistake in most cases.

Of course people can do without the cost of a parking fine but equally concerning is that these people may look to other town centres and out of town shopping complexes offering free parking the next time they want some retail therapy.

In light of this I have contacted Rochdale’s Parking Services Department to ask that they do everything possible to help avoid any confusion over when parking charges do and do not apply. More importantly though to emphasise the real need for us to axe bank holiday parking tariff all together so that people can come to our town centre and support or local businesses without fear of receiving a costly surprise when they return to their car.

I am speaking to our other Conservative councillors and together we will be pressing for this matter to be addressed.