|
Name
|
Organisation
|
|
Richard
Collen
|
Photo
Memories (Chair)
|
|
D
J Davison
|
Lockfast,
Canterbury St
|
|
A
J Byers
|
Florist,
Canterbury St
|
|
S
Moore
|
S
& C
|
|
A
Estrella
|
Barbers,
Canterbury St
|
|
John
Baines
|
Bays
Furnishers
|
|
Phil
Plaistowe
|
Medway
Print
|
|
Martin
Wells
|
The
Falcon Public House
|
|
Denise
Smith
|
Nesse’s
Café, Canterbury Street
|
|
John
Hawkridge
|
Hawkridge
& Co Solicitors
|
|
Charles
Harvey
|
Harveys
Plumbing/Electrical
|
|
T
Bonthuys
|
Specsavers
|
|
John
Brice
|
Frog
& Toad Public House
|
|
Mr
Rahman
|
New
East Indian
|
|
Bryn
Hargreaves
|
Salvation
Army
|
|
Mike
Blackmore
|
Medway
Aquatics
|
|
A
Bruce
|
Bruce
Butchers
|
|
D
Bruce
|
Bruce
Butchers
|
|
P
Bevens
|
Medway
Applicance Renovations
|
|
Douglas
Rimmer
|
Timpsons
|
|
Bryan
Clarke
|
|
|
John
Singh
|
Richards
Stores
|
|
Kay
Singh
|
Richards
Stores
|
|
John
Welch
|
Liddelows
Bakery
|
|
Carol
Welch
|
Just
Health
|
|
Mr
Khan + 2
|
Gillingham
Mosque
|
|
Mr
Miah
|
Spice
Court
|
|
Cllr
G Juby
|
Medway
Council, Gillingham South
|
|
Cllr
Mark Last
|
Medway
Council, Gillingham North
|
|
Cllr
Phil Filmer
|
Medway
Council, Cabinet, Portfolio Holder, Front Line Services
|
|
Cllr
Mrs Jane Chitty
|
Medway Council,
Cabinet Portfolio Holder, Strategic Development and Economic Growth
|
|
Keith
Hanshaw
|
Medway Council,
Head of Parking Services
|
|
David
Candlin
|
Medway Council,
Economic Development Manager
|
|
Ron
Morlham
|
Medway Council,
Town Centre Mgt
|
|
Annette
Le Breton
|
Medway Councill,Town Centre Mgt
|
|
Ann
Mutter
|
Medway Council,
Notes
|
|
1.
|
There is currently inadequate provision for motor-cycle parking. KH stated it was difficult to assess how
much parking is required but agreed to look again at this.
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
Mr
Douglas Rimmer, Timpsons asked for clarification on the status
of Theodore Place, at the rear of Timpsons.
KH
stated it is not ‘public highway’ but is council-owned therefore
the council can look at what is best for Theodore Place, but this
would need to be discussed.
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
Miss
Grace Jeweller’s – Could the Black Lion field be used to extend
the free car park to take up the overflow of Gillingham shoppers.
Cllr
Filmer said the Black Lion fields are controlled by the Leisure
directorate and therefore was not within his control.
However discussions are underway concerning the area and
he agreed to find out the status of
these discussions and report back.
|
|
|
Action: Cllr
Filmer
|
|
4.
|
Halifax
Building Society reported that it was now costing £120/qtr to
visit properties for the purposes of valuations etc.
KH
advised that a business permit for £100/year was available, which
allows up to 2 hrs parking in restricted areas.
KH acknowledged that this permit may not have been adequately
advertised to businesses and he was happy to discuss with the
Halifax representative.
|
|
|
|
|
5.
|
Mr
Bruce of Bruce Butchers, Canterbury Street, said that all the
council talked about was pay and display parking.
His business is losing customers because they refuse to
pay to park, particularly as, since the larger retailers had left,
there is no longer anything to come to Gillingham for.
Mr Bruce stated that the council must scrap pay parking
altogether. He pointed out that now Tesco have been granted permission for
a larger store on the A2, with free parking, Gillingham retailers
can no longer compete. In
addition commuter parking was interfering with shoppers parking.
Cllr
Filmer stated that when the residents parking was enforced, the
council was mindful that this would affect local business but
he emphasised it was wanted by the residents.
Cllr
Mrs Chitty stated that she had been asked by the Leader of the
Council to look at the way forward for Gillingham.
She agreed that the commuter parking was a problem and
assured attendees that this was already being addressed.
However
Cllr Chitty said Gillingham also had a problem with ‘image’ and
that the council needs to set about raising its profile.
|
|
|
|
|
6.
|
Mr
Moore of S & C stated that in the pay & display areas
in Saxton St, Lock St and Green St, there are empty places which
is a clear indication that people were going elsewhere because
they are unwilling to pay.
Cllr
Filmer said it was the first he had heard of empty spaces and
urged businesses to advise him of their problems so that he can
work with them. He agreed
to investigate.
|
|
|
Action: Cllr
Filmer
|
|
7.
|
Mrs
A J Byers, Canterbury Street Florists, confirmed the views of
the businesses stated above, stating that there is nothing to
attract shoppers to Gillingham.
This view was reinforced by Mr Davison of Lockfast, who
stated that his business turnover was 50% down since November
05.
Cllr
Filmer gave assurances that, now he is aware of the extent of
the problem, every effort will be made to review the parking. There would have to be compromise though.
|
|
|
|
|
8.
|
Mr
Baines of Bays Furnishers proposed a similar system to the one
operating in West Malling, i.e. free parking for an initial short
period.
Cllr
Chitty was aware of the W.M. system but stated that free parking
was not practical because of the ticketing system, and proposed
a nominal charge of 10p for an initial short period.
Cllr
Chitty went on to say that other schemes to invigorate or improve
the town centre, such as designating it an enterprise centre or
more policing are not within the power of Medway Council.
Only Central Government can authorise enterprise centres
and only the Home Office can appoint more police officers.
The
businesses however felt that more Community Safety Officers would
be beneficial.
|
|
|
|
|
9.
|
KMWA
Mosque, a presence in Gillingham for 35 years, understood the
problems being experienced by traders and wanted to know why it
was necessary to have parking restrictions until 10pm.
They felt that if the current situation continues, Gillingham
will become a commercially derelict area.
Moreover, worshippers at the Mosque now have to pay £4/5
in parking as they visit several times a day.
KH
stated that it was difficult to satisfy residents, shoppers and
businesses alike as they all want different things; it always
comes down to compromise. Previous consultation showed that a large
majority of people wanted restrictions until 10pm, however, KH
conceded that the council may not have got this quite right and
they were prepared to work with residents and other groups to
review the situation. He warned that nothing will happen overnight.
|
|
|
Action: Keith Hanshaw
|
|
10.
|
Medway
Sugar Art representing their customers stated that the council
and the parking authorities are in a unique position of being
able to sort out parking problems but people believe that the
council is just trying to make money out of them.
If nothing is done the town centre will die off.
Cllr
Filmer assured the meeting that the council does care about what
happens to Gillingham and had shown that by purchasing the Littlewoods
car park to prevent more parking being lost.
|
|
|
|
|
11.
|
A
trader stated asked if there had been further developments on
the proposal by retailers to introduce a parking refund scheme
submitted 4 years ago.
KH
stated that if businesses as a group wished to proceed he would
be happy to help. It would
be slightly more difficult for a small group of businesses than
for a large one-store operation but KH did not envisage the cost
of tickets being a problem because this can usually be recouped
through sponsorship.
|
|
|
|
|
12.
|
Liberal
Democrat Proposals to revitalise the Town Centre – a trader asked
if these could actually happen.
Cllr
Filmer stated everyone would like to see improvements but he could
not promise anything that could not be delivered. However, the council may be able to go some way towards making
improvements.
|
|
|
|
|
13.
|
Mr
John Hawkridge of Hawkridge & Co Solicitors stated that he
had written to the council at least six times about parking problems. He asked the council to explain its policy on consultation and
preferred trading areas within Medway.
Now the major stores have closed, the parking has exacerbated
the situation; traders are in a critical position. What compensation can the council offer to these businesses and
when can they expect free parking to be reinstated?
Cllr
Filmer stated that traders are suffering everywhere in Medway. Free parking was not an option. The government expects councils to self-fund
some of their services and parking is one source of funding.
Cllr
Chitty stated that with regard to the loss of the Co-op and Littlewoods,
multinationals everywhere are choosing to capitalise on their
stores but felt that it was quite possible that another large
retailer will come in to replace them.
|
|
|
|
|
14.
|
Denise
Smith of Nessie’s Café asked why the 50 pence visitor permits
which are on sale at the Municipal Buildings are restricted to
£10.00 per month.
KH
replied that this was because people had been selling them on. However KH agreed that this could be revisted.
|
|
|
Action: Keith
Hanshaw
|
|
15.
|
One
Gillingham trader had parking tickets placed on his vehicle parked
on his own land. KH did
not know the particular case but agreed to discuss outside the
meeting.
|
|
|
|
|
16.
|
Mr
Bryan Clarke stated that disabled parking is not being enforced.
Any vehicles parked illegally will be ticketed.
|
|
|
|
|
17.
|
Phil
Plaistowe of Medway Print
o
Concerned that traffic wardens target areas where there are ‘easy
pickings’.
o
To prevent commuter parking, why not introduce restrictions until
say 10 or 11 am, then have a period of free parking.
Cllr Filmer asked Cllr Juby if he could state the background
to the original parking review and describe the strength of feeling
by the residents.
Cllr Juby stated that the problem had arisen because of Medway
Hospital and the football stadium.
Together with commuter parking, residents had not had anywhere
to park their own cars and large vehicles such as dust-carts could
not get through.
The parking restrictions were not forced upon people without
prior consultation and ward councillors had been consulted. However, the council agreed again to review
the situation.
|
|
|
|
|
18.
|
Mr
Brice of the Frog & Toad Pub in Burnt Oak Terrace said his
business was close to closing through loss of trade due to parking. He acknowledged that Cllr Filmer and the council had been very
helpful but he was concerned about rumours that the parking restrictions
were going to be extended into Brompton, which would be the ‘last
straw’ for his business.
|
|
|
|
|
19.
|
The
representative from Gillingham Mosque stated that people at the
meeting had talked about having predicted this situation over
a period of years, with many letters to the Council.
People are now very frustrated at the council’s apparent
lack of action and he asked how long will it take the Council
now to deal with this problem?
Cllr
Filmer stated that if a traffic order is required; this does take
time. He proposed that Council officers should
consider what is needed and work out how long it will take, and
a further meeting be arranged with businesses where they can be
informed of the likely timescales for action.
KH
stated that he would be meeting with the officers in the traffic
management team to look at specific areas, which will should not
take very long. However, he warned that the processes for
change are long.
KH
was asked to clarify the meaning of the ‘no return within 1 hour’
sign. Did this mean no return to the same road?
KH agreed to check this out.
|
|
|
Action: Keith
Hanshaw/Cllr Filmer
|
|
20.
|
KH
stated that it was unlikely that parking charges until 10pm would
be immediately withdrawn as this would cause a problem with the
pre-forecast budgets. Furthermore as it had been wanted by a large
majority of residents it could be not changed without further
consultation.
|
|
|
The
meeting closed at 8.00 pm
|
|
|
|
|
Ann
Mutter
16.02.06
|