Cheshire West & Chester Council has published its plans for car parking in Frodsham and Helsby.
The Frodsham and Helsby action plan is part of the Council’s 15-year parking strategy. It will see consistent charges and other controls such as length of stay restrictions across different car parks and a clear investment programme to improve the quality of car parking and attract more visitors and shoppers.
In both towns the changes are being introduced to manage the impact of rail-related parking. Currently, the free and unrestricted parking available near both rail stations is attractive to outside commuters who use the towns as ‘Park and Rail’ locations. Although this has benefits in terms of reducing the number of cars on the borough’s roads, it results in a lack of short-stay day-time parking in both towns for retail-related uses and is a situation predicted to worsen once the Halton Curve (the rail route between Frodsham/Helsby and Liverpool) is re-opened.
A long stay charge is designed to moderate the rail demand, while also prioritising parking for short-stay users where it is most needed.
The recommended new tariffs and controls are as follows:
Frodsham
- Moor Lane – multi-user tariff – a graduated tariff to control levels of long stay commuter parking and to release capacity to short-to-medium stay local users
- Frodsham Station / Extension car park – multi-user tariff – a graduated tariff to control long stay commuter parking and free up capacity for short to medium stay local users
- Health Centre – Free with maximum stay and user group restrictions to prevent long-stay commuter displacement to this car park and to protect parking for the Health Centre, Library and leisure centre users.
- Will to Work Extension – multi-user tariff – to again protect short to medium stay capacity for local people.
- Main Street – Free with maximum stay restrictions and exemptions for residents – to prioritise short stay users and encourage turnover in this core retail area and prevent all-day commuter parking.
Helsby
- Station Avenue (subject to a full length of stay survey) – Long stay tariff – with the same long stay rates as for Frodsham car parks to prevent rail users moving to this car park as a result of Frodsham tariffs
- Chester Road (bays) – Maximum stay restrictions of one or two hours – to cater for short stay displacement from Station Avenue car park and to free up spaces from commuter parking.
- Britannia Road – a new blue badge on-street parking bay is recommended next to the shops to improve accessibility in this location.
Recommended tariffs are:
- Moor Lane, Frodsham Station/extension car park and Will to Work Extension: 20p for up to two hours, 50p for two to four hours, £1 for four to six hours and £1.50 six to eight hours.
- Station Avenue Helsby: £1.50 for up to eight hours.
The potential impact of car park users moving to surrounding residential areas will be monitored to determine whether residents’ parking schemes or other restrictions are needed.
Further details are available on Cheshire West & Chester Council’s website.