I WOULD like to respond to Mr Hipsey’s letter concerning the new car park charges in West Devon’s long stay car parks.

I currently hold the position of lead member for the economy and throughout the last council drove the policy changes that has seen reductions in car parking charges across the board.

This measure was always about removing barriers to shoppers. The days of clock watching are now gone for those using the long stay car parks and where people require shorter stay periods, we have retained the short stay charging system but without the automatic alternate year price increases. The current policy is designed to achieve the balance of shoppers’ and businesses’ interests on the one hand and control of income on the other.

The council car parks are a service with a cost behind them. In reducing the charges the council has taken a risk with income.

The hope is that increased parking numbers will compensate for the reduced income from lower charging rates. It follows that we cannot stand additional losses from ticket sharing! Lost revenues would have to be made up somewhere and that somewhere would be council tax.

It seems inherently unfair to pass on losses from car park operation to all irrespective of use.

Finance aside, there is another reason why these ‘random acts of kindness’ are inappropriate. The tickets remain as they have always been, non-transferable.

Anyone who admits to having shared tickets as Mr Hipsey suggests is in fact breaking the rules and could be subject to penalties. We do not expect to buy a cinema ticket and then pass it to another person on the way out of the cinema, nor do we expect to pass a train ticket to another after the journey!

It is very simple: when buying a ticket for West Devon’s car parks one is paying to park one’s own vehicle for the duration of the stay, not buying the right to unfettered use of a space for 24 hours.

I hope that West Devon residents recognise reasoning here and acknowledge that the new lower cost system is in everyone’s interests.

Robert Oxborough

Lead Member for the Economy

Westn Devon Borough Council