Questions have been raised about a large car park at the rear of the former Keswick Convention Centre in Skiddaw Street.
It follows complaints that it stands mostly empty for months, while nearby residents struggle to park near their homes due to tourists and commuters taking up spaces.
A meeting of Keswick Town Council heard that a private company manages the car park on behalf of Keswick Ministries and charged £350 a year for a permit and £60 a month.
Mayor councillor Alan Dunn said the permit price should be reduced to get more people using it.
Cllr Allan Daniels told the meeting that it made no “economic sense” for the car park, which he said had about 70 spaces, to be stood empty. Cllr Daniels said £350-a-year was “outrageously expensive”.
The permit-only car park can only be booked online at Parkonomy.com. Charges include £25 a week, with signs warning of £100 fines for non-payers with the site enforced by warden patrols from HX Car Park Management Ltd, of Lytham St Annes.
The point of the “empty” car park was questioned by Jean Murray, a member of the public. She told town councillors it was barely used apart from by a couple of people working in the building’s offices.
She explained: “It is absolutely empty and in the last six months I have rarely seen more than two cars parked there.”
She believed “no-one was going to pay” the price charged by the private company and had enquired whether B&B owners could buy a permit for use by guests. Ms Murray said she was told this was not possible as permits had to be registered to specific cars.
But Cllr Paul Titley said this week that Keswick Ministries had confirmed to him that it was engaged in talks with B&B owners who wanted to buy permits for people staying with them.
Cllr Adam Paxon said it was clear during lockdown, when there was only residents’ cars parked in the back streets, that there was plenty of spaces for those who lived there.
Cllr Tony Lywood said there was around 300 residents’ cars and enough space for them when there was no day-trippers, commuters, shoppers or visitors.
Of the back streets parking proposals, Cllr Lywood said: “The reality is if the county council doesn’t do something now, the problem will just get worse and worse and worse.”
