‘Severe and immediate financial risk’ triggers £130k car park decision

(Image: Google Streetview)

Delays in fixing the issue has already resulted in lost income according to a council report

by Lisa Rand

A major Wirral car park is at risk of having its ticket machines stop working forever as the council agrees £130k of investment.

The car park, at the Pyramids in Birkenhead, is among two council owned sites where ageing payment systems are now said to pose a ‘severe and immediate financial risk‘ to the local authority.

Wirral Council has approved a contract worth £132k to parking equipment firm Scheidt & Bachmann to replace systems at both the Pyramids car park on Borough Road and The Grange car park on Conway Street, which together have around 1100 car parking spaces.

According to a decision published by the council this week, the existing equipment is ‘failing, approaching the end of its economic life, and generating frequent operational issues that place income at significant risk’.

The Grange car park has already seen lost income (Image: Google Street view)

Replacing the equipment would help protect around £360k in annual income, equivalent to nearly £1.8m over five years, while also reducing running costs, according to the report.

There have already been delays progressing the replacement works with the report warning continued delays could result in the sites losing card payment capability altogether.

Current systems no longer meet modern banking clearing standards, meaning support for card transactions ‘could cease at any time’. Card payments currently account for around half of all income generated by the two sites.

The report also notes that ongoing failures at The Grange car park have already resulted in barriers being lifted and daily revenue being lost.

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Delays in fixing the issue has already resulted in lost income according to a council report

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