A further £7,000 will be spent converting card-only car park payment machines in Spalding – and fees look set to rise in the new year.
The machines were purchased this summer and shelved after a public backlash criticised the council over a lack of a public consultation.
At the South Holland District Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 20, members discussed their options for the car park payment machines that were bought in the summer for almost £28,000.
Members decided to covert the seven remaining unused machines from card-only to being able to take cash and card payments.
According to a report before members, this will be at a cost of £7,000.
The cash machines that will be refitted for both options will be at: Sheep Market, Victoria Street, Holland Road, Westlode Street, Winfrey Avenue, The Vista and the Castle Sports Complex swimming pool.
In a video recap of the meeting, Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for place, said: “Car parking machines have caused a bit of controversy in the recent past and that will be a system whereby people will be able to use card and cash in all of our car parks.
“The downside of that is that we have to continue to pay for cash collections but the cabinet were supportive of continuing that option and felt that the cost was worth doing in order to give people that flexibility.”
A previous report stated that it costs the council around £20,000 a year to have the machines emptied of cash – a cost some members were keen to keep down by introducing a card-only system.
The charges will be reviewed in the new year, “in order to encourage users to pay by card rather than cash,” said the report.
“Members were advised that a report would be brought forward to the Cabinet next year, following a complete review of fees and charges,” the report continues.
A mobile phone payment system was also slated to be introduced in the summer but has been put on hold.
It might return with the review.
