A COMMUTER hitting hike in parking fees across more of Guildford's town centre car parks was agreed last night.
The cost of parking in all the town's short stay car parks will be £1.20 per hour, Guildford Borough Council's (GBC) Executive committee decided at a meeting on Thursday (January 3).
Last April, the cost of parking in most of the town's central short-stay car parks was increased from £1.10 to £1.20.
From April 8, the remaining car parks will charge the £1.20 hourly tariff, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm:
•Bedford Road multi-storey
• Millbrook
• G Live
• Mary Road
• Bright Hill
• Leapale Road
• Upper High Street.
• College Road
• Bellerby Theatre
• Lawn Road
• Millmead House front car park
• Robin Hood
• St Joseph's Church.
GBC said the 10p hourly increase is partly designed to deter commuters from clogging central short stay car parks, intended for shoppers and visitors.
It said a third of spaces in short stay car parks were being taken by commuters who park on average for 45 hours a week, compared to shoppers who park for two to three hours per visit.
Instead, workers are being encouraged to use park and ride sites and long-stay car parks, where there will be no parking fee increases.
Councillor James Palmer, responsible for town centre planning, said: "By introducing a small fee increase in remaining town centre short-stay car parks, we aim to free-up and achieve a better use of this premium space for shoppers and visitors.
"There is no increase in the cost of our long-stay car parks to encourage and benefit those workers that need more time."
The cost of garage and contract parking as well as season tickets will rise by three per cent.
Free park and ride Saturdays could be rolled out to encourage more people to use sites such as Artington and Merrow, if an agreement can be reached with Surrey County Council.
Long stay tariffs will not be increased.
It is expected the new fees will generate £271,400 for the council's coffers.
Cllr Palmer added: "We are only doing this after careful consideration. We don't believe this will put off the short stay people who are paying for an hour or two.
"Obviously it will have an impact on long stay people but that is part of our plan to get them into the long-stay car parks."
Meanwhile, a £2.3 million programme of car park repairs and maintenance is also scheduled, including a £321,000 replacement of a collapsing wall at Bright Hill.A £295,000 sum has also been agreed for decorating walls and ceilings in Castle Park.
Other works include rebuilding the access roads to Guildford Park and York Road car parks, and repairing and resurfacing North Street car park.
A pay by phone system is also scheduled to be rolled out next year in pay and display car parks.
