FELLOW Northwich residents and visitors.

Well, November 27 saw the commencement of the charging for car parking within our town.

From its introduction, Cheshire West and Chester Council ‘tell us’ that they have kept charges to the minimum to minimise the effect on people using the car parks to visit the town.

I believe we are all savvy enough to be asking the obvious.

The BIG question is how soon will these ‘minimal’ charges be escalated?

There are a number of question that need to raised on this matter: 1. Who is going to be managing the charging fee process? Internally within CWAC or a third party subcontractor appointed by them?

2. For how long are these current charges fixed?

3. Who will make the decision to increase the charges?

4. What basis will the charges be applied? RPI/CPI?

5. Will it simply be ‘let’s put up the 20p to 50p’?

These are all things you as residents and users of the Northwich car parks need to be thinking of and being aware of the ‘next steps’ in this whole saga that 73 per cent of Northwich residents rejected according to the consultation document.

Watch this space.

Dave Gradwell, via email