Woodley Town Council’s Planning & Community Committee has sent a letter to Wokingham Borough Council outlining concerns with its proposed new parking scheme.

The letter provides a balanced, non-political view of all members of the Committee, which is represented by a mix of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour Councillors. The concerns with the new parking arrangements focus on the potential negative impact on the community of Woodley. 

Several issues were raised, including:

• Change of chargeable times – potentially reducing evening footfall to businesses
• Scale of increases – with the potential to make Woodley Town Centre uncompetitive compared to other local shopping centres
• Addition of new charges – charges for residential overnight permits and market trader permits
• Disproportionate contribution to Wokingham Borough Council parking funds – the burden of monies raised to cover budget deficit unfairly lies mainly with Woodley and Wokingham.

The Committee have asked for a series of concessions in implementing the scheme, providing a rationale for each concession and is hopeful to receive a positive response from Wokingham Borough Council.

The letter can be viewed HERE, or within the Planning & Community Agenda Minutes, dated 31 January 2023 HERE.