Charles Sturt Council to consider motion for three free hours of parking at Henley Square after backlash

A PLAN to limit “absolutely disgusting” paid parking in Henley Square and give motorists three free hours will be considered by the council – but not quite yet.

Paid parking opponent and Royal Copenhagen Ice Creamery and Dessert Bar owner Kev Bennett.

• Paid parking coming in around Henley Square, angering locals
• Parking fines on the rise for motorists at Henley Beach
• Multi-million overhaul is one thing, but where to park?

A PLAN to limit “absolutely disgusting” paid parking in Henley Square and give motorists three free hours will be considered by Charles Sturt Council – but not quite yet.

The move comes just 24 hours after the controversial measure was introduced at two car parks on the Square on Monday morning.

Henley Ward Cr Jassmine Wood is spearheading the plan, saying paid parking has provoked outrage from businesses and visitors to the Square.

Under the plan, being taken to the August 28 council meeting, motorists would be able to park for the first three hours free but have to pay $2 per hour thereafter.

“It would start off free for three hours, and I am flexible on that slightly, and then the paid parking starts,” Cr Wood said.

“In my reasoning, and most people agree with me, that will still encourage a turnover because those cars that don’t want to pay will go.

“But it is not going to penalise the locals who just want to pop down for their five or 10-minute coffee and don’t have to pay for it.”

Signs for a paid parking area at Henley Beach.

Cr Wood’s motion for three hours of free parking was tabled for urgent business at a council meeting on Monday but Deputy Mayor Robert Randall refused to consider it for debate because he said it was not urgent.

Cr Randall said the paid parking would help turnover of cars ensuring everybody got the opportunity to visit the $8.4 million redeveloped Henley Square.

“We put two hours’ free parking in the northern car park and what we found over the last 18 months was we’ve had some pretty shocked letters from people who stay there for two hours, went to dinner, stayed a bit longer, and got a $51 fine,” Mr Randall said.

“So they were paying $51 for their car parking so we thought about how we could address this problem in a little bit more sensible way and that’s when the idea came up for $2 per hour for car parking.

“Nothing is set away, we are happy to review it.”

Paid parking at two public car parks – next to Joe’s Kiosk on the Esplanade and next to the old Evida restaurant – came into effect on Monday.

By Wednesday, an online petition condemning the new system had reached 7173 signatures and a Facebook post received 1300 comments from outraged locals, including former Port Adelaide footballers Alipate Carlile and Warren Tredrea.

Sign the Petition https://t.co/0antBxHAwj via @ChangeAUS

— Alipate Carlile27 (@AlipateCarlile) August 12, 2017

This should really help business #not @CharlesSturtSA Paid parking coming in around Henley Square. https://t.co/yxaU1p38U8

— Warren Tredrea (@warrentredrea) August 11, 2017

Some of the first users of paid parking at the Square slammed it as “absolutely disgusting” and “ridiculous”.

Woodville man Ron Stuanton said he used to enjoy parking, walking up the jetty and then going across to Foodland for shopping.

“That’s stuffed it for me – I’m p***ed off,” Mr Stuanton said.

Royal Copenhagen Ice Creamery and Dessert Bar owner Kev Bennett said paid parking would “kill the businesses around here”.

“It’s absolutely disgusting and I’ve spoken to 10 people today – three of them were customers and others in the square – who said there was no need for it,” Mr Bennett said.

Cibo Henley Beach’s petition for the council to allow three hours of free parking in the southern lot had collected almost 400 signatures yesterday.

“Everyone has been complaining,” employee Megan Dichiera said.

Anti-paid parking chalk art at Henley Square.

Seaton woman Susan Brane – who created chalk pavement art in Henley Square at the weekend to protest the new payment system – received 1300 responses to a Facebook post about the new system.

She said most of those who commented were “hopping mad”.

“The beach is the one place where it doesn’t cost people to come – it shows how the council is very disconnected from the community,” she said.

Brighton woman Robyn Norman said paid parking would put people off going to Henley Beach and encourage motorists to park in backstreets.

“It’s especially bad for all of the shops who are going to lose money,” Ms Norman said.

The council said 447 vehicles used the northern car park, closest to Evida, on the first day of the paid parking on Monday but did not have statistics for the parking lot next to Joe’s Kiosk.

A council worker wearing a vest reading “Ask Me About Parking” strolled both carparks answering people’s questions.