By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reorter
Concerns over a “daylight robbery” hike to residential parking permits sparked a rebellion from two Gloucester Liberal Democrats yesterday (February 18).
The controversial increase in residents’ parking permit charges was debated as Gloucestershire County Council approved its budget for the upcoming financial year.
The proposals, which will see council tax increase by 4.99 from April, also include a 26 per cent hike to parking permits.
The yearly cost for a household’s first permit will rise to £80 from £63.30 and the second permit will cost £160 up from £127.35.
Business permits will cost £400 up from £339.90 and a second permit would cost £500.
These are expected to increase further over the next three years to make the service cost neutral for the council. A fee of £30 will also be introduced for care worker permits.
However, the plans saw two Lib Dem councillors voting against their party and supporting an Independent amendment which called for a 12 month freeze on the charges.
Councillor Jeremy Hilton (LD) told the meeting he would support an amendment by Cllr Alastair Chambers (Coney Hill and Matson) as the charge hike would have a major impact on Kingsholm and Wotton.
Cllr Chambers said the freeze would protect residents from unfair hardship.
He also presented a petition on behalf of residents who are “deeply concerned” over the hike.
And Cllr Chambers could be heard praising Cllr Hilton’s move to support him saying “common sense prevails”.
“I have 3,645 residents’ permits in my city ward. I bet that is the highest in the county,” Cllr Hilton said.
“It’s a disproportionate hit on the residents of Kingsholm to put this up by 26 per cent.”
He said the total income from the parking schemes in his division is £634,000 which he believes is far more than necessary to cover the costs of the scheme in his area.
“That includes the residents’ permits, the pay and display income and penalty notices. That is a substantial income,” he said.
And Councillor Rebecca Trimnell (LD, Hempsted and Westgate) also thanked Cllr Chambers for putting forward the amendment which she fully supported.
She said the postponement was needed to set up a cross-party working group to scrutinise the figures.
“This group may find this rise in residents’ parking permits may not need to be as much as what is being proposed this year,” she said.
“It is without a doubt that the 26 per cent rise in residents’ permits is excessive and unreasonable with other comparable authorities charging significantly less.”
She said there were more than 1,000 residents with a permit in her division, most of which were for “one-car families”.
“These homes aren’t privately owned and these are the individuals who have been hit the hardest by the cost of living crisis.
“Everything has gone up in price. Budgeting has become harder. Life for these individuals in spite of working full time on minimum wage, council tax is going up and on top of all that now an increase to their resident parking permit by 26 per cent in order to be able to park somewhere near their home.”
Conservative Sajid Patel (Barton and Tredworth) said the increase was “extortionate and unjustified” and labelled the plans as “daylight robbery”.
“We need to stop treating taxpaying residents as mugs and a cash cow,” he said.
“Here’s a solution. Scrap the parking permit scheme altogether and reinstate free parking for the residents. After all, they are paying their road tax anyway.”
Deputy leader Colin Hay (LD, All Saints and Oakley) previously said the increase is needed to help them put forward the budget which will invest millions into roads, schools, adult social care, recycling centres, nature recovery and fire and rescue service.
“In order to deliver our ambitions, we have had to go through our budget with a fine-tooth comb to produce the monetary headroom we need,” he said.
During the full council meeting on February 18, he said the figures put forward by Cllr Hilton included the amount of income from pay and display.
“The pay and display would be there anyway whether there was a residents’ permit area or not,” he said.
“That’s why that is excluded from those figures.
“There is a certain amount of loss of revenue in those areas where there is parking permit as well. You can park there with a permit and there is no pay.
“That loses a certain amount of money.
“We are the party care. We do understand that carers are the backbone of this country and save so much money.
“Which is why I have committed to there being a members’ working group who can look at all those other issues around permit parking.
“We can include something about carers so we can treat them with the utter respect they deserve.”
The amendment was defeated by 18 votes in favour to 31 agaisnt with one abstention.
The budget was ultimately approved by 34 votes in favour to 16 against.