Two recent freedom of information (FOI) requests - submitted by the Newport Conservatives Group - have revealed some highly questionable numbers on Newport’s Council run car parks.
Firstly, Newport City Council took - £58,226.23 - in car parking fees across three of its major Council Parks over a twelve month period.
During the financial year - 2022/23 - Newport Council took the following amounts in parking fees at three of its council parks:-
£27,847.70 was taken at Tredegar Park.
£29,384.53 was taken at Belle Vue Park.
£994.00 was taken at the Fourteen Locks.
Total amount: £58,226.23
It should be noted - in 2021 - Newport Council eyed up plans to introduce parking charges at the Glebelands Park, Christchurch Viewing Point and the Morgans & Woodstock fishing lakes. They backed away from such moves after a petition of over 500 signature was run by Conservative Campaigner Michael Enea.
Is it time to ditch the parking charges at Tredegar Park, Belle Vue Park and the Fourteen Locks? Are the council making any money from these car parkings when operational costs are factored into the equation?
⚫️ CITYWIDE NUMBERS
Newport Council took the following amount - combined - across all of its car parks during the financial year of 2022/23:- £1,009,789.83
A separate FOI revealed the total associated costs of operating all the car parks across Newport in 2023 was:- £1,174,448.09
Therefore. The figures indicate the council was operating its car parks at an overall financial loss in the region of -£163,000. The big contributor to this loss was the Kingsway Car Park (see further below).
It should be noted that this loss is a loose estimate, as the revenue figures are from the financial year 2022/23 - whereas the costing figures are from the calendar year of 2023.
⚫️ FULL STATISTICS
A full breakdown. During the financiial year of 2022/23, Newport Council took the following revenue amounts at all its car parks:-
Emlyn Street - NP20 1ES - £68207.55
Faulkner Road - NP20 4PE - £89340.05
Hill Street - NP20 4EN - £3467.50
Riverfront - NP20 1HG - £65859.10
Stow Hill - NP20 4DX - £27501.00
Maindee - NP19 8XA - £28744.45
Mill Parade - NP20 2JS - £786.25
Park Square - NP20 4EP - £50889.50
Kingsway - NP20 1EX - £616768.20
Tredegar Park - NP20 3AG - £27847.70
Belle Vue Park – NP20 4FP - £29384.53
Fourteen Locks – NP10 9GN - £994.00
All figures quoted above are inclusive of VAT.
⚫️ THE KINGSWAY CAR PARK
Total amount of revenue taken by Pay Machines at the Kingsway Car Park from 2022/23 -£616,768.20
Total costs associated to running leasehold of Kingsway Car Park in 2023 was £831,013
A break-down on the costs are below:-
Staffing costs – £180,353.
(Staff also carry out other functions)
Ongoing maintenance i.e. structural and operating of machines - £26,154.
Electric, gas and any other utility overheads - £198,701.
Leasehold rent from landlord and rates £336,022.
Other associated costs £89,783.
The total costs associated - combined - to running leasehold of the Kingsway Car Park is £831,013.
The figures indicate the council is running Kingsway Car Park at a financial loss in the region of -£214,000.
Again, it should be noted that this loss is a loose estimate, as the revenue figures are from the financial year 2022/23, whereas the costing figures are from the calendar year of 2023.
⚫️ QUESTIONS
Newport Conservative Opposition Leader, Cllr Matthew Evans MBE has said:-
“The figures quoted are of a real concern”.
“You have to seriously question how it’s costing almost £1.2 million in 2023 to run and maintain our council-run car parks, when offset against £1 million in revenue in 2022/23?”
“We need an urgent ‘root and branch’ review of our all council-run car parks across the city.”
“The council seems happy to lose money just to punish motorists. It seems nonsensical to charge for car parks such as Fourteen Locks, which made just £994 in ticket income in 2023.”
