Telford & Wrekin Council has been criticised for undertaking a car parking survey in Wellington – on the quietest day of the week.
Officials were spotted last Wednesday with clipboards noting down car registrations and times of arrival and departure in Glebe Street car park.
The council later confirmed it was a one-day survey, commissioned to gather information from the town’s six car parks to see how many people used them and how long they parked.
Council officials say the survey will not lead to car parking charges and was intended to help over future car parking plans.
Steven Bentley, cabinet member for environment, said: “Telford and Wrekin has been carrying out a survey into car park usage on all open car parks in Wellington Area.
“This is part of an on-going information gathering exercise to help us look into the car parking need of the area. The information gathered will be used to inform future car parking provision in the area.”
Wellington town councillor, Gary Davies, said: “I am quite frankly amazed that Telford & Wrekin could look to do a survey of the car parks in Wellington on a Wednesday when the town is half day with many of the shops closed all day .
“Surely the day to do the survey is either Thursday, Friday or Saturday when the market is open.
“I am surprised that they do not know the quietest day of the week is a Wednesday. They may as well have done it on a Sunday.
“It will be interesting to see the results of this survey. I do know we have a terrible problem in Wellington of illegal parking on double yellow lines blocking the traffic within the town. I am pretty sure that there is an urgent need for more parking especially with the building of the new – and welcome – development.
“As a ward councillor, I did not know about this survey but it will be interesting to see the outcome and indeed the response from the council.”
