Parking concerns in Wrexham have been a priority of mine since I had been contacted by many of my worried constituents.
During a cost-of-living crisis, Wrexham residents should not be driven round the bend by unnecessarily extortionate and frankly unfair parking fines.
Last year, I launched a survey to assess parking options in Wrexham, during which I heard about the costly issues that Wrexham residents face when parking in the town. Sixty-seven percent of respondents to my survey said that they were dissatisfied with the availability of car parking spaces in Wrexham, and many commented on the sharp practices of private car parking firms, like Euro Car Parks who manage Wrexham’s Island Green car park. Respondents commented on the cost of parking at Island Green, receiving extortionate fines from Euro Car Parks, and the complicated and often confusing process when looking to appeal fines.
Following this, I raised my constituents’ concerns to Ministers and in response, the UK Government announced a package of measures in February 2022 that would see charges reduced from £100 to £70 or £50, depending on the seriousness of the breach, and a new Code of Practice to help keep cowboy private parking firms in check. However, this has been put on hold and all has gone quiet due to legal challenges from the parking companies. To get the ball rolling, last Thursday, I raised this in the Chamber and asked for an update on the Government’s policy so we can ensure that tyrannical firms are kept in check.
I will continue to push for the implementation of the UK Government’s crackdown on parking firms so that my constituents can park worry-free in Wrexham.
