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Council U turn on trader parking charges

By James Ledward
Feb 14, 2012 - 12:12:49 AM
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Cllr Ian Davey

The council has lowered parking charge increases for traders following outrage expressed by the business community.
 
Proposed charges for annual trader permits have been lowered to £600 a year (from £750) and business permits to £300 a year (from £400).
 
Traders will benefit from the abolition of rationing for permits, which means that all traders who want a permit can have one. This means they will be able to park anywhere in the city for under £2 a day and will open up the scheme to a further 399 currently on the waiting list. Traders can also take advantage of the provision to pay quarterly, to spread the cost.
 
Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, will consider the amended parking tariffs at the environment, transport and sustainability cabinet next week, (Friday, 17 February).

Ian said:
“As a result of consultation on our budget proposals, we have listened and lowered the proposed increases on permits. We understand the concerns of local businesses in the current climate and want to give businesses and traders a fair deal on parking. We’re promoting the flexible payment options, taking away waiting lists for traders and listened to businesses on Madeira Drive to include in the low tariff zone.
 
“We’ve reviewed all parking charges with the aim of making the city’s parking system clearer, fairer and more consistent.”
 
A £1 charge for an hour will be available in most car parks during the week, with a proposal to reduce the rate for the first hour in some, for example The Lanes and Regency Square car parks (down to £1 from £2.50).
 
Outer car parks such as Regency Square, London Road and Trafalgar Street have lower charges than the centre to encourage more people to use them. This not only eases pressure on the city centre but people parking there are more likely to visit local high streets, supporting traders there.
 
Selective increases in parking charges have been used year on year as one way to manage demand, help cut down on traffic volumes in the city, and encourage residents and visitors to consider sustainable transport options such as walking, cycling and public transport.
 
The proposed parking tariff structure will also support the city’s aims of improving traffic flow, reducing congestion and cutting down on pollution.
 
The highest proposed tariff rises, for example in the city centre, reflect demand for spaces and are designed to encourage people to think about alternatives.
 
Councillor Davey said:
“There are too many cars looking for too few spaces and nobody benefits from congestion. We would much rather people were out enjoying the city than stuck in traffic.
 
“We’ve joined up our pricing structure with our transport policy to rebalance our streets, making travel easier, safer and more comfortable for everyone to travel around.
 
“Two-thirds of journeys start and end within Brighton & Hove. We hope that people will choose other forms of transport for at least some of their journeys and therefore will not incur parking charges. Any surplus made as a result of the increases will be re-invested to give people real choice about how they travel.”

Simon Kirby MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven, said:
“The Green administration has come to recognise the damage that a parking charge hike will have on local business, hence their decision to amend the rate of the proposed increases. But clearly they have not gone nearly far enough as business owners and traders will still face punitive increases of £125 and £250.
 
"The Greens say that they have consulted with local business and they understand their concerns. If that were true then they would not be placing unnecessary strain on traders and small business owners through this stealth tax. These are tough economic times, and many businesses need all the help they can get to stay afloat.
 
"The Greens’ attempts to generate extra revenue for the Council will come at great cost to the economy of Brighton and Hove. Their revised increases reveal that they have been found out, and I urge them to abandon the proposals altogether.”
 


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