Is the Car Parking Charges issue dead? We may have spoke too soon.
 July 1st 2010 and July 9th 2010 (Courier)
Reliable information as come to this website. a TWBC Official was seen surveying the car parks of Cranbrook this week. He was challenged by 2 credible locals as to what he was doing. he answered "to progress the car parking charges option" and also "TWBC are tired of subsidising Cranbrook's free parking". So the campaign needs to be switched back on.
| This is what TWBC said April 30th 2010 BEFORE GENERAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS
: The Leader of the Borough Council, Roy Bullock, and the Cabinet member responsible for our car parks, Paul Barrington King, have issued the following joint statement today, 30th April. The statement reads:
“We understand that rumours regarding the imminent imposition of car park charges have been circulating in Cranbrook. The Borough Council position is that there are currently no plans being developed or proposed for this in the town. There is no “hidden agenda” and no consultation is now planned as there is nothing on which to consult. If ever proposals are to be considered in this regard in the future then the Parish Council would have advance notice of this and be fully involved in the consultation and decision making process.”
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Background to campaign:
Since the beginning of November 2009, this website has received over 35,000 visitors. It was originally built by the Weald Business Association (formerly known as the Cranbrook Business Association) to help determine local opinion as to whether Cranbrook in Kent should lose its free parking availability in the town's 3 car parks, along the High Street and in Stone Street.
In partnership with the Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council the Weald Business Association has produced a summary review of local public and business opinion...
- obtained by the Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council by means of a high street petition,
- from personally written letters to the Parish Council,
- through this website
- and from responses to direct questionnaires sent to local businesses.
The resultant summary document was distributed (Feb 5th 2010) to the members of the TWBC Cabinet and all TW Borough Councillors, the new Chief Executive William Benson, KCC’s Roger Manning, Maidstone & the Weald MP Ann Widdecombe, Helen Grant PPC for the Conservative Party and Peter Carroll PPC for the Liberal Democrats, the Weald Courier and the Kent Messenger.
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Summary of our loal survey (The Cranbrook View):
I t is unmistakable from this far-reaching and eclectic survey of opinion that the introduction of car parking charges will have a detrimental and negative effect for the commercial viability of Cranbrook. The impact on the town will be nothing short of damaging.The facts are clear from the introduction of car parking charges to Headcorn, that this one year old decision has indeed reduced income for businesses based in that village nearby.
Virtually all Cranbrook Businesses that responded to this issue believe that the introduction of car parking charges will be damaging to their future commercial viability due to reduced income, fewer customers and likely increased costs.
More than 5000 people have shown their opposition to the introduction of car parking charges into Cranbrook.
If parking charges were to be introduced, 88% of on-line respondents said they would visit Cranbrook less with many saying they will go elsewhere for shopping, entertainment, dining and activities.
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