CIVIC chiefs have come under fire for plans to increase car parking in Winchester at the same time as saying they want to cut pollution.
City council plans for easing congestion and improving air quality were met with opposition from environmental groups at a cabinet meeting.
Cllr James Byrnes, portfolio holder for transport, said: “By providing more spaces around the city we can take more vehicles off the road and have a positive impact on air quality.”
However, Chris Gillham, of Winchester’s Friends of the Earth, said: “This parking strategy shows such a complete disconnect from reality that we wonder if parts of the council even talk to each other.
“It is an astonishingly bad paper in all respects. It contains hardly any meaningful evidence, its analysis of data verges on ludicrous and anecdote or silly prejudice informs much of the text.” Such a paper would not stand up for five minutes under cross-examination in an inquiry.
“The parking strategy as it is, is not only killing people, not only making much of the town highly unpleasant for residents and visitors alike, but it almost certainly limits the economic prosperity of the town by encouraging the least efficient access to it.”
Chris Holloway, director of Winchester Action on Climate Change said: “We are concerned about the tone of the report which as a whole is seriously misleading.”
“It includes no reference to the relationship between car parking, emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution. It doesn’t look at the long-term implications for health: both the immediate - 51 excess deaths a year - and longer term climate change.
“There is no mention of obesity, nor the Council’s own walking strategy.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Lucille Thompson argued in favour of increased opening hours Park and Ride to cut pollution.
“A successful Park and Ride scheme is only successful if it works 52 weeks a year, seven days a week,” she said.
“We need improved access to a number of car parks. By improving access to car parks, drivers are more likely to walk in the town centre.”
The council’s parking strategy aims to provide spaces to sustain the long-term economic, social and environmental well-being of Winchester.
The mid-term revamp of the council’s parking strategy included a public consultation showing strong support for the aims of the strategy.
Most debate has centred on the city centre where there is a high demand for parking and many car parks are operationally full much of the time.
The council’s report recommends measures relating to the marketing, signing and pricing regimes of car parks, investment in parking facilities and promoting the use ULEVs (ultra low emission vehicles).
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