Car parks in Kington
Case reference FOI2022/00259
Published 28 March 2022
Request
Q1 What measures are you taking to increase parking?
Q2 What negotiations have you untaken with McCartneys to allow public use of their extensive car park on non-market days?
Q3 How did the County come to own these car parks that you want to sell back to the Town Council for (according to HT) £33,500 EACH YEAR? To get a return on the land at say 5%pa equates to £670,000. Is that the actuarial value of the land?
Q4 So just how much did HC pay for this land? Doesn't it actually or morally belong to the Town? Why does HC need to be 'compensated' for this 'loss' anyway?
Q5 Please provide costs of providing the costs of implementing and of running a chargeable car park from a similar, previously free, car park elsewhere in the County.
Response
Q1 What measures are you taking to increase parking?
A decision to introduce car parking charges in Kington has been deferred until a full transport study can be undertaken to understand the issues raised in detail. The introduction of charges for off-street parking in the town had been proposed as the council considers how it can best meet the needs of residents and promote other ways of travel. It is important that the limited number of parking spaces in any town centre is correctly managed to enable visitors to find a parking space easily and conveniently when they arrive.
The transport study will align with the emerging scoping work set out in the Market Town Investment Plan for Kington which was due to be considered by Cabinet on 24 March. It will also identify solutions which address the concerns raised around the parking.
Q2 What negotiations have you undertaken with McCartneys to allow public use of their extensive car park on non-market days?
None, as above. A full transport study is being undertaken to understand the issues raised in detail.
Q3 How did the County come to own these car parks that you want to sell back to the Town Council for (according to HT) £33,500 EACH YEAR? To get a return on the land at say 5%pa equates to £670,000. Is that the actuarial value of the land?
Q4 So just how much did HC pay for this land? Doesn't it actually or morally belong to the Town? Why does HC need to be 'compensated' for this 'loss' anyway?
In response to Question 3 and 4, how Herefordshire Council came to own the car parks and the amount the council paid for the land is set out below:
Kington High Street car park (owned)
Made up of 5 conveyances -
1) Messrs. Hodges to Leominster District Council - £3,000 1 July 1985 (760m2)
2) Mr Wright to Leominster District Council - £1,650 20 June 1985 (365m2)
3) Mr Preece to Leominster District Council - £0.00 2 February 1993 (stat. December)
4) Messrs. Smith & Wright to Leominster District Council - £10,000 28 July 1978
5) Hereford & Worcester County Council to Leominster District Council - £850 31 March 1980 (540m2)
Total cost = £15,500
Kington Love Lane car park (leasehold)
Leased to the then District Council of the urban of Kington 29 November 1958
Kington Market Hall car park
1 conveyance dated 18 April 1962 - Mr Williams to District Council of the Urban of Kington - £1.00
Total cost = £1.00
Kington Mill Street car park north east
2 conveyances -
1) Messrs. Wort & others to District Council of the Urban of Kington - £50.00 21 January 1957 (425 sq. yards)
2) Mr Edwards to District Council of the Urban of Kington - £675 1 October 1956 (0.22 acres)
Total cost = £725.00
Kington Mill Street car park south west
3 conveyances -
1) Mr & Mrs Johnson to Leominster District Council - £1,800 25 August 1977
2) Messrs. Morris to Leominster District Council - £4,000 2 September 1977
3) Messrs. Johnson to Leominster District Council - £2,000 9 March 1979
Total cost = £7,800
The attached document 'Name change on Herefordshire Council titles' shows the route of the different councils and how they ended up as The County of Herefordshire District Council (Herefordshire Council).
Anticipated net income from all of the car parks, if charges were to have been introduced, is calculated at £33,500 per annum. Any transfer of the management of the car parks would have required a payment to the council in future years to recompense this figure.
Q5 Please provide costs of providing the costs of implementing and of running a chargeable car park from a similar, previously free, car park elsewhere in the County.
The current cost of providing the car parks is set out below, there will be a minimum further cost for machine maintenance (£378 per annum) should charges have been implemented. However the main costs associated with rates, insurance and maintenance will remain the same.
Expenditure (£) - maintenance, rates, lease
Mill Street:
2018/19 - 3,623
2019/20 - 2,129
2020/21 - 2,496
High Street:
2018/19 - 678
2019/20 - 1,846
Market Hall:
2018/19 - 1,198
2019/20 - 1,802
2020/21 - 1,301
Love Lane:
2018/19 - 1,276
2019/20 - £1,170
2020/21 - 1,361
Kyrle Street car park, Ross-on-Wye (29 spaces) - 3 year average operating costs - £3,385
Bridge Street car park, Ledbury (52 spaces) - 3 year average operating costs - £2,433.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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