Lancashire County Council’s cabinet members have agreed to greatly reduce by fourteen hours the current 18-hour waiting limit on Inner Promenade to 4 hours. They have also agreed to extend the current two-hour time limit on South Promenade, so ensuring an appropriate turnover of available on-street parking options for visitors.

This is despite many respondents to the consultation exercise warning that reducing the waiting time around Fairhaven Lake would have a negative impact on local businesses. In opposition to the slashing of on-street parking hours by fourteen hours, they contested that visitors do not come to our area for only four hours, claiming that the new regulations would provide insufficient time for families to spend the day leisurely enjoying the facilities like mini golf, the splash park, beaches and arcades, or walk into the town to have a look around, spend in our local shops and eat in our many cafes and restaurants.

The Cabinet members were also warned that the new regulations would not only reduce the number of tourists coming into the area but also consequently clog up the inner streets of Lytham St. Anne’s. Additionally, hoteliers warned of the negative impact on their guests and staff as waiting times were reduced.

However, the Cabinet members took note of the report from Highways Officials which stated, ‘The proposals are being introduced to ensure a turnover of available on-street parking options, enabling shorter stays closer to the main areas of attraction to encourage a greater turnover of visitors in these areas. There are unrestricted areas further along the promenade and a number of public car parks that offer areas for visitors wishing to stay for longer periods of time.

The proposals should increase footfall, by increasing the turn-over of parking spaces, enabling more visitors to visit the area.

There is unlimited parking along Inner Promenade from Fairhaven Road Car Park to St. Paul’s Avenue. The time limit along Fairhaven Lake is to encourage a turnover of visitors through the day to enable more customers to visit the tourist area and businesses.

The four-hour time limited area has been restricted to beside Fairhaven Lake as this is this area’s main tourist destination. Other areas are proposed to be unrestricted to enable those who wish to stay longer to have alternative parking further away from the main tourist area.’

Featured image taken from Google maps.