Row over Gloucester parking price hikes

Published in Gloucester Citizen Newspaper on Tue 29th Dec 2009

A political battle looms in Gloucester after councillors protested over steep rises in residents' parking permits.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, (Lib Dem, Kingsholm and Wotton) was so outraged at Gloucestershire County Council announcing permit charges would rise from £62 a year to £80 he has deposited a motion for debate at the city council when it meets in full session on January 7.

Two weeks ago, the county council confirmed that permits would be frozen by 2010 before rising to £72 in 2011 and then £80 by 2012.

The move has angered residents who have to pay to park outside their own homes.

Matthew Hall, 26, from Sweetbriar Street, Kingsholm, said: "Times are hard at the moment and it is bad enough you have to pay to park outside your own home. But, with this rise it is even worse.

"I hope the council can stop this from going ahead because I don't know where I will find the money otherwise."

Jeni Smith, 32, who lives in Albion Street, said: "There is a problem with parking in Gloucester but it seems a bit steep to put prices up by this much when there is a recession and everybody is skint."

In a statement on his motion which will be debated this week, Councillor Jeremy Hilton said: "The planned 29 per cent hike in charges for residents' parking permits is daylight robbery.

"For the Tories to do this in one of the worse recessions we've had in living memory is grossly unfair to those people who live in congested streets in Gloucester, where they don't have off-street parking. County Tory cabinet members are quite happy to travel to Gloucester and use the free parking at Shire Hall, but now they want to charge ordinary Gloucester people a whacking £80 per year just to park outside their homes."

The permit rise is expected to hit Gloucester hard, as it has one of the highest take-up rates in the county.

Councillor Kate Haigh (Lab, Matson and Robinswood) said: "It is hard to say how much it would affect people but it seems that these kind of increases can hit quite hard.

"£80 is a lot to pay when it doesn't even guarantee a space and it will be interesting to see what Jeremy has to say at the meeting."

But leader of Gloucester City Council Paul James (Con, Longlevens) said the debate will not help.

He said: "It was a decision made by the county council. We can debate it but it won't change anything.

"If he wants to take it to the county council then fine, but it is something the city council has no control over so the debate seems a bit pointless."

The policy will also allow the county council to extend permit operation times from 6pm in the evening until 8pm - and to Sundays.

People driving the most environmentally-friendly cars will be able to get half-price permits. The city council offers a list of the cars deemed to be planet-friendly.

Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet member for environment, Stan Waddington, said: "It was agreed residents' parking schemes must not subsidised by the council taxpayer."

The changes will be in force from next month, or from the next time residents