WILTSHIRE Council has made another U-turn on its plans for Melksham Community Campus car park.
After proposing last month that all users should pay to use the campus car park, Wiltshire Council has reverted back to its original plan, that it should be free to all users when it opens in the autumn.
But the council says that parking charges could be introduced if the car park is ‘mis-used at the expense of campus users’.
“The council is keen to ensure there is sufficient on-site parking for visitors to the campus and that free parking provision is not mis-used at the expense of campus users,” said Wiltshire Council. “Therefore, when the campus is open the council will take a detailed look at the car park’s usage to determine how it’s being used and if charges are required. This would depend on a number of factors, including the possible impact to campus customers’ ability to park and loss of use of other car parks due to misuse of the free car parking provision.”
At last week’s Melksham Area Board, Wiltshire Council confirmed it had submitted an application for a pay and display car park at the site should it be required. As part of the application process there will be a public consultation and people will be encouraged to provide their feedback.
In recent weeks, Melksham Town Council has raised concerns about the campus car park proposals.
They said that a free to all car park would be ‘used and abused’ by people taking advantage of the free parking offer; whilst also criticising the proposal to charge for parking, demanding that parking should be free for all customers of the campus.
Town councillors have repeatedly asked that campus users have priority in the car park; and that there be a system to link campus use with use of the car park.
