Nowhere to park? We'll help (From thisisoxfordshire)

Nowhere to park? We'll help

6:30am Friday 24th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(5)

MORE than 650 council-owned garages are lying unused in the city because of the recession, the Oxford Mail can reveal.

Oxford City Council, which owns 2,054 garages across the city, has launched an advertising campaign to try to encourage car owners to take up the empty spaces.

Figures published by letting agent Park Let showed Oxford was the seventh most expensive place outside London to rent a private driveway, garage or parking bay.

It costs an average of £98 a month to rent a parking space in the city, according to Park Let managing director Luke Kelly.

He said: “The areas where landlords tend to make the most income are usually known for being commercial centres rather than residential areas.”

Meanwhile, the council’s empty garages outside the city centre in Summertown, Headington, Blackbird Leys, Cowley and Littlemore have the capacity to boost council coffers by more than £1m a year.

Jenny Bennett, head of garages at Oxford City Homes, said normally 20 per cent were vacant, but since the economy nose-dived last year that figure had risen to 32 per cent.

She said: “We are advertising because we have got some vacant garages and clearly they are a great asset for us to generate some income.

“It’s obviously a consequence of the economic downturn that we have more empty garages than normal.

“People have to prioritise paying their rent — garages are the first to go.

“We are not necessarily targeting commuters. We want to make council tenants aware we have garages available throughout the city.

“If you want to park your car up securely, get in touch with us.”

Oxford City Homes gives priority to its tenants and leaseholders, but the garages are also available to private residents at a higher rent.

It costs £11.27 a week for council tenants and £12.96 for private tenants.

There are discounts for disabled tenants, ranging from 13.6 per cent to 84.87 per cent off.

Garages can also be used for storage, although special permission must be sought and materials kept in them must not be a fire risk.

The city council recently spent £200,000 upgrading its garages at Southfield Park in East Oxford.

The money went on removing asbestos, replacing a roof, upgrading lighting and replacing doors.

tshepherd@oxfordmail.co.uk To rent a council-owned garage, call 01865 335447 or you can log on to the council’s website oxford.gov.uk/housing

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(5)