THE possible introduction of parking meters and a new system of on-street parking in Truro has provoked widely differing views in the city.

The organisation which represents high street businesses strongly supports Cornwall Council’s proposal, believing it will stop drivers hogging free spaces and allow more people to park free of charge, bringing more visitors to the city.

However, many city dwellers fear it will push more people to park in residential areas, and could even force locals to have to park in the city’s car parks if they want a guaranteed place to park near their homes.

City councillors raised concerns this week, including possible damage to Truro’s famous and historic granite setts, some of which will have to be cut or removed to accommodate the necessary equipment.

Cornwall Council is currently undertaking a period of public consultation on the matter, which ends tomorrow (Friday, October 2), so hurry if you want to comment.

The new system of on-street parking management would be introduced at several locations in Truro, which are currently subject to free, limited-waiting parking restrictions. Under the proposals, existing free parking periods would be retained at no charge, but drivers would be required to obtain a parking session when they park, with the option to extend their stay by paying for additional parking time, up to the maximum stay permitted at that location.

Truro’s Business Improvement District (BID) is very much in support of the proposed parking changes. BID manager Alun Jones stressed the proposed system would be fairer and allow more people to park in the city.

“There appears to be misunderstanding that the proposal suggests the removal of the current free time limits on the streets - this is not the case,” he said. “Existing free parking time limits are planned to continue.

“The overall objective, which Truro BID wholly supports, is to reduce the existing misuse of these time-restricted parking spaces and to open them up for far greater turnover per day by our visitors and customers.

“Currently, an unhelpful proportion of these spaces are occupied over the authorised time limits, I would suggest daily. While this provides free parking for those who make that choice to overstay at these spaces until they get a parking ticket, the end result is to deprive customers and visitors of those valuable parking spaces, which should in theory churn over half a dozen times-plus per day.

“Given the recent reduction in Cornwall Council car parking spaces at the Viaduct and Moorfield, we support Cornwall Council initiatives to generate more customer parking spaces within the city centre in the interest of high-street vitality.”

Mr Jones highlighted that commuters and visitors don’t have to rely on parking in the city. “Truro has great public transport links with the train, park and ride depots on either side of the city, and a great bus service under Go Cornwall. They are all an alternative to driving in and worrying about potential parking.”

Others in the city have serious reservations about the proposal.

At a meeting of Truro City Council on Monday (September 28), councillors heard the “passionate concerns” of a Truro resident fearful of the impact the introduction of the proposed new system would have in their neighbourhood.

Paul Caruana, who runs a Facebook page dedicated to the city, said: “People need some free parking to be able to access the local shops during their spare time. Allowing paid-for additional parking time will only deny casual shoppers the opportunity to pop into a local shop, with the inevitable outcome of seeing local businesses dipping out.

“Furthermore, it will cause irreparable damage to our granite pavements once meters have been installed.”

Town clerk David Rodda has completed the consultation form for each area on behalf of Truro City Council, citing concerns about the potential negative impact on businesses and the high street, residents in the affected areas and the traffic flow through River Street, the heritage impact of the installation of any new infrastructure in the conservation area, and recommending the removal of proposed Sunday charges. It was agreed that city councillors should submit their own responses or write to Cornwall Council with their objections.

The parking meters would be cashless, which has led to additional concerns that those without smartphones won’t be able to park.

Cornwall Council’s consultation states: “The proposals are intended to help manage parking and traffic movement within Truro. Vehicles currently circulate around the town looking for available parking spaces. This can result in additional traffic movements and contribute to congestion, particularly where parking is in high demand.

“The existing limited-waiting arrangements can also make enforcement more difficult. Where a vehicle is parked without payment, a Civil Enforcement Officer may need to make more than one visit, or observe the vehicle for a period of time, before it can be established that the vehicle has exceeded the permitted waiting period.

“Introducing a requirement for drivers to obtain a parking session would allow parking compliance to be checked more efficiently. The existing free parking period would remain available, but the parking session would provide a clear record of when the vehicle arrived. This would allow Civil Enforcement Officers to establish compliance during a single visit.

“The option to pay for a longer stay would also provide greater flexibility for people who need to park for longer than the existing free period.”

The proposals would also introduce Sunday operation at the town-centre locations currently restricted from Monday to Saturday only. Castle Street, Little Castle Street, River Street, Kenwyn Street, Lemon Street and Tabernacle Street would therefore operate Monday to Sunday, 8am to 6pm.

The proposed parking restrictions at Chapel Hill, Hendra Road, St George’s Road and Station Road would remain Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Blue Badge holders would be exempt from the proposed parking charges and restrictions.

“At some locations, a small number of granite paving slabs forming part of the existing footway will need to be cut or removed to accommodate the necessary equipment,” said the council. “This will be kept to an absolute minimum.”

Cllr Dan Rogerson, the council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “We have been aware of issues around parking in Truro which have worsened after the Moorfield Car Park closure.

“Having spoken with local stakeholders and Truro city councillors, we have designed these proposals to protect the current free parking available for the city centre to ensure we do not impact businesses.

“However, the changes will encourage more turnover of spaces, which will help create more options for drivers looking to visit. We are keen to hear local people’s views on these proposals.”

You can have your say on the proposals on the Let’s Talk Cornwall website.