The plan to remove free parking for Herne Bay leisure centre users has sparked a backlash from the public. The proposals went to consultation in early December and ended early this year. During the Herne Bay Forum meeting on Tuesday, it was revealed that the public was most concerned about the changes for Leisure Centre users.
Councillor Peter Vickery-Jones voiced his concerns, saying that the idea represented “inequality” for Herne Bay compared with Whitstable and Canterbury, whose leisure centre car parks are free. Whitstable and Canterbury’s car parks are both currently privately owned by the leisure centre, compared with the public William Street car park used for Herne Bay’s centre. Cllr Vickery-Jones said he had “a great respect” for the transport department and expected the change was simply an “oversight” on their part.
Neil Mason the operations manager for Active Life said they were “not happy” about the proposed change. “Ever since we have been at the site the parking has been free. To now find out that customers will have to pay going forward that is bound to have a knock-on effect,” said Mr Mason. Another issue raised by Active Life was the proposal to remove free overnight parking and implementing a charge of £2 which Mr Mason says would have an impact on their early morning swimmers many of which are elderly.
Active Life has officially voiced their concerns to the council. There are also concerns that with the rise of 24-hour gyms, many of which have free parking, Active Life will lose out. Mr Mason also pointed out that the leisure centre already partly subsidises the swimming costs for the users and so if they were to refund parking themselves this could have a significant impact on the charity.
Pamela Jones, one such early morning swimmer, said that the changes would make parking an expensive weekly cost as many use the pool 5-7 days a week. She also went on to say that the council should encourage the use of the centre saying, “surely encouraging folks to exercise regularly and keep supple and fit helps our overburdened NHS”.
Richard Moore, Canterbury council’s Head of Transport and Environment told the public that the leisure centre was a charity and not owned by the council since 2002. Mr Moore said therefore it was not fair on the taxpayer to expect them to pay for the free parking of leisure centre users as the parking is funded by council tax. Mr Moore went on to suggest that Active Life could themselves continue to refund users themselves.
Due to there only being two main public car parks the council felt that offering free parking to leisure centre users was unfair to the rest of the public and due to issues with parking capacity.
Mr Moore said he did not want there to be favouritism towards Active Life as the council do not offer parking refunds to other Herne Bay businesses. The views of the forum will be taken forward and presented next week at a committee on Thursday in Canterbury Guild Hall which will be open to the public.
This was one of three forum meetings this week with Canterbury expressing issues with the littering problem and hotel parking permits and Whitstable having issues with the proposal to remove free parking in the high-street.
Yes this is the main car park in Herne Bay and charges are set to hike. It is going to become an expensive car park and will have knock on effects.
As I have pointed out previously it is unfair that users of the Leisure centre in Herne Bay should have to pay to park whilst Canterbury and Whitstable users still continue to park free. Once again it is discrimination against Herne Bay.
Surely we want to encourage people into the town. The 2 hour free parking has done just that. It wasnt just the leisure centre that benefitted. Without free short-term parking, cars will be parked on roads and cause problems. Or people just wont go to the town