PARKING charges in Stevenage Old Town are set to be imposed as a result of a recent study. Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) estimates it will spend �282,000 implementing the plan, and may have to defer other schemes as a consequence. Following the results

PARKING charges in Stevenage Old Town are set to be imposed as a result of a recent study.

Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) estimates it will spend �282,000 implementing the plan, and may have to defer other schemes as a consequence.

Following the results of a parking study commissioned by SBC in 2007, the council's executive will meet tonight (Thursday) to discuss introducing charges in the off-street car parks, including the Waitrose car park, and making on-street parking spaces along both sides of the High Street short-stay.

If these plans are approved, further parking restrictions will be introduced in Church Lane and the lower end of Sish Lane, to prevent migration of commuter parking into these streets.

Members of the executive will also discuss closing the lorry park on Primett Road and changing it to a long-stay car park.

Permitting lorries to park overnight on certain roads in the Gunnels Wood Road employment area, such as Argyle Way, will be looked at.

In an SBC report it said: "All day parking in the prime parking spaces in front of the High Street shops is leading to a lack of short-stay parking facilities, which discourages growth in retail activity."

It also said: "Largely unregulated parking facilities does not provide incentives for long term parkers to use alternative modes of transport", and that there is a problem of commuter and shopper overspill in residential streets close to the High Street.

The SBC report asserts that: "The "do nothing" option will benefit only the long-stay parkers in the Old Town, to the detriment of trading levels and business interests and council taxpayers in general."

A number of blue badge holder bays, giving easy access to the High Street retail areas, form part of the parking proposals.

In the town centre, there is a proposal to introduce charging on the 45 limited waiting bays in Southgate, The Quadrant and Marshgate.

The 30-minute waiting restriction would be retained and a 50p pay and display charge for this period introduced.

The SBC report acknowledges: "There will almost certainly be some objections", but says: "These bays tend to cause some congestion with vehicles obstructing the carriageway waiting for a bay to become free."

The 45 blue badge holder bays do not form part of this proposal.

Following formal consultation, the entire parking scheme could be completed by April 2010.