Don’t forget car parking survey

Residents are reminded that they can take part in an online poll about whether they would be prepared to pay an extra £12 a year council tax so two car parks in the town could once again be free of charges – but the deadline is 19th October.
Alsager was one of several previously “free” towns in the borough until December last year, when Cheshire East brought in charges on most council-owned car parks which had been tariff-free.
Now the town council is consulting with residents to see whether they would be prepared to pay extra council tax each year so Station Road and Well Lane car parks could be free to use.
As we have previously reported, Asda struck a deal with Cheshire East to keep The Fairview – Alsager’s largest car park – free of charge for two hours but Well Lane and Station Road now charge £4.90 for a full day, including in the evenings and on Sundays.
Also as previously reported, a group of more than 50 residents living near the car parks have formed an action group, which told the town council that it feared there could be a fatality or head-on crash due to the number of drivers now parking on the street instead of using the car parks.
The town council made Cheshire East an initial offer of £45,000 to take on the two car parks, with plans to make them free of charge for residents, but the offer was rejected.
At a meeting of the full council earlier this month, members agreed to ask residents whether they would support a higher offer of £70,000 for the car parks, which would equate to an increase in council tax of around £12.10 for a Band D property for the next five years.
The town council said on its website: “The contract with Cheshire East Council will be for five years and will cost Alsager Town Council circa £70,000 per annum.
“This will lead to an additional circa £12.10 in council tax for Alsager residents for a band D property each year for the next five years.
“Alsager Town Council would like to know if, as a resident, you would pay this to allow both car parks to be free of charge to use.”
In the north of the borough, parking in Bollington has remained free after residents voted in favour of an increase in its town council’s precept to fund it following a consultation last year.
The Bollington consultation also included an increase to help fund library opening hours.
The Alsager Town Council poll closes on 19th October.
Residents can take participate online at smartsurvey.co.uk/s/DP0SNT/ or by completing a hard copy, which can be collected and returned from Alsager Civic or Alsager Town Council offices.
Some of this article was contributed by local democracy reporter Belinda Ryan.