Residents' discount parking scheme set to return in council 2022/23 budget

A resident parking discount is set to return in the 2022/23 budget, the council leader has revealed. 

The popular discount was scrapped in 2020 meaning residents had to pay full price to park in council owned car parks in Windsor and Maidenhead.

Speaking in a video filmed and shared on his Facebook page, Cllr Andrew Johnson (Con, Hurley and Walthams) said the scheme was 'fundamental to the needs of residents and businesses going forward'.

He said the council had to pass a 'difficult' budget in 2020 to 'stabilise the council's finances'. 

"Those finances have now been stabilised and as you will see on Wednesday when the draft budget is released, our finances are going from strength to strength in our financial position'. 

Speaking in the same video, Cllr David Cannon, cabinet member for public protection and parking (Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury) said the discount will involve an hour's discount for residents 'all over the borough' and it will be delivered through the Ringo app.

Last week Cllr Lynne Jones (Old Windsor Residents Association, Old Windsor) called on the council to offer residents one-hour free parking in all of its car parks as part of the 2022/23 budget.

Speaking to the Advertiser today she said it was 'great they have listened to us'. She said: "It would be good to understand the detail. They say borough-wide - hopefully all car parks, then. With the charges in Windsor car parks it is the only way to support the high street."

The opposition councillor confirmed she had not yet been briefed on the upcoming budget. 

Cllr Johnson said the draft budget would be released tomorrow. The full details of the resident parking scheme will be revealed to cabinet in December.