HUNDREDS of thousands of people from around the world have headed to the shores of Waterloo and Crosby to cast an eye over Antony Gormley’s famous army of iron men. But soon they will have to pay.
Hard-up Sefton Council plans to turn the seaside attraction into a money spinner, with the introduction of car parking charges along miles of coast north of Liverpool.
The move will also affect thousands of families across Merseyside who regularly head to the front to soak up a bit of healthy - and free - sea air.
The plan to impose parking charges was made by the council’s Labour-controlled cabinet earlier this month, with details published only now to allow public comment.
The scheme would see a charge of 20p for 30 minutes, 90p for up to two hours, £1.70 for up to four hours and £3.40 for more than four hours.
The plan is to slap parking charges at the Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, Blucher Street, Waterloo, Burbo Bank at Blundellsands, as well as Sumner Road in Formby.
The scheme will make it virtually impossible to drive to the beach without paying for parking - or risk a £60 ticket issued by Sefton’s super-efficient parking wardens.
But in the north-south divide that is Sefton, there have been long standing grumbles over charges imposed in the Southport promenade area while neighbours in the south of the borough have, for years, got away ticket free.
Conservative councillor Simon Jamieson said his party planned to challenge the proposed charges, voted through by Labour councillors, when the scheme comes before the area committee early in 2016.
Lib Dem deputy leader Tony Dawson told Liverpool Confidential: “This has to be weighed up carefully and we will look at the pros and cons. Some people may think a small charge is reasonable, and if it is a small charge that might be seen as acceptable. We will watch carefully how the debate goes at the committee meeting.”
But David Jackson, an active community campaigner in the Waterloo area, hit out at the plan to charge drivers.
He told Liverpool Confidential: “The council talks about how the Iron Men have put the area on the world map, and now they plan to do this. It is not as if there are any facilities for visitors, no proper public toilets, nothing at all. There is one café and that took a few years before the council agreed to it.
“The big concern is that people will park in nearby streets to avoid paying, and that will lead to double yellow lines and parking permits for residents, creating another set of problems. This happened around the library when parking charges were introduced and it caused difficulties in surrounding streets.”
Another resident, James Gentles, a member of the Friends of Waterloo Seafront Gardens, added: "My view is that we want no charges at all. We want to encourage people to visit.
What may be relevant is whether or not the money raised will be spent on the front? Do we know that? If it is, then I say introduce charges."
Elsewhere, the charging scheme has generated lively debates on social media sites.
“Another fine example of SBC (Sefton Council) knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing,” wrote one local resident.
Santa's sack is empty as the meter ticks on free parking (Pictures: Angie Sammons)
Some local people say parking along the seafront is reasonable as a way of extracting income from visitors to pay for the maintenance of the area.
But as one local resident pointed out: “The knock-on effect will be horrific if it leads to yellow lines and parking control areas for residents, especially for people without any off-street parking.”
Others wonder why the council doesn’t use imaginative ideas to raise money by introducing facilities for visitors that would create an income for the council with licence fees or rents.
As Julie W pointed out: “I've spent 40 years strolling Burbo Bank watching older folk sitting in cars drinking flasks of tea and reading the paper. The beach is the cheapest of days out for a struggling family with sandwiches and a football, who will not be able to afford to park there 5 or 6 times a week when the kids are off school. Those with an 'I'm alright Jack, I can pay a fee' attitude are a Tory’s dream. A very sad day for the community and all those who are unfortunate enough to be struggling in it through no fault of their own. A constant erosion of a quality of life that differentiates between the haves and the have nots.”
Terrance E came up with a compromise suggestion. Make parking free to all local Sefton residents to park and introduce Pay & Display for tourists and others. “Might be a problem solved for the residents and council.”
An alternative might be to leave things as they are!
Blucher Street car park - oddly popular among those who like to visit Antony Gormley's famous iron men after dark
