Bonkers Blog November 2011
26 November - Bailey baloney
Four months ago councillor Linda Bailey hit the local headlines with her announcement that she was seeking funding from the Mayor of London for improvements to Bexley's town centres which would include free parking for the four weekends preceding Christmas. Boris coughed up the money and Bexley council has announced its Christmas parking arrangements. There are no incentives to shop locally, car parking charges will remain among the highest in South East London. Where has Boris's money gone? More of ours will go to Bluewater and Westfield (Stratford).
Following the publication of the table of local parking charges several readers have been busy with their calculators. Paul from far away Bideford calculated that it would cost £2,505 to occupy all of Bexley's 2,817 spaces for an hour which works out at an average 89 pence. Bromley averages 54 pence, Greenwich 76 pence away from the Cutty Sark and £1.20 if including it and Dartford 50 pence. Craske will probably cling to the crumb that Lewisham is more expensive than Bexley but even there some car parks are free and others allow 15 minutes for 35 pence. There is nothing that generous in Bexley.
How much to park in Bideford Paul?
P.S. He says that the fee is 60 pence per hour everywhere with the option of a £55 per year season ticket. How much is season ticket in Bexley? Oh, yes. £684 in most car parks, £954 in Bexleyheath centre. Bideford is controlled by a council of 36 members, 18 of whom are Conservative.