SOME Thurrock car parks would have to close unless they receive more investment a councillor has claimed.
Ben Maney, councillor responsible for transport and highways, defended plans for charging in recreational ground car parks which are currently free.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mr Maney said: “Thurrock Council owns a large number of public car parks across the borough. Currently the use of those car park divides into two categories.
They are either pay and display sites subject to tariffs or they are completely free and unrestricted and the council has no control over how long people park there and frequently they do park for hours or days at a time.
“The real issue is that the condition of some of our car parks have been deteriorating and they’ve really reached the point now where intervention is required and if we don’t invest in some of our car parks there is a real risk they will have to be closed. That’s not over-egging it.”
Mr Maney said some of the car parks were proving costly to the council.
He said: “Some of them are dangerous and the council has had four compensation claims made against it and that resulted in £24,000 of compensation being hand out. It’s simply not a cost we can sustain.
“This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly. We have looked carefully at the sites where we are proposing charges.
Money is ring-fenced for parking services so the intention is to use the funds to improve car parks across the borough. There will be an improvement to those sites before we intend to use them.”
Charges from £1 for an hour up to £6.50 for six hours are set be introduced, which could bring in an estimated £160,000 a year in fees. The council will offer an annual parking season pass at a charge of £75. This will entitle the season pass holder to park for up to three hours at Coalhouse Fort, South Ockendon Recreation Park and Langdon Hills Country Park.
