The proposed car parking charges in Sutton Park and at two other city sites have been tweaked with new rates, a new annual permit proposal and grace period – but politicians have mixed views on the plans
Town Gate at Sutton Park – one of five main entrances to the park where motorists can currently park for free – but that could soon all change if Birmingham City Council approves parking charges plans
New proposals for car parking charges at a Sutton Coldfield beauty spot have been slammed and welcomed depending on which side of the political divide those commenting are.
Birmingham City Council is ploughing on with its plan to charge motorists to park in Sutton Park as well as two other parks in the city, Lickey Hills Country Park and Sheldon Country Park.
The proposals to charge for parking for the first time at the three sites have already been pencilled in for this year’s budget – and are set to raise £381,000.
Read more: Parking charges plan for popular Birmingham parks – full list
The new proposal tweaks the proposed parking charges at all three sites.
The original proposal was for a charge of £2.20 for up to two hours, £3.30 for three to four hours and £5 for all day.
Now the proposed charges are £1 per hour for the first four hours at Sutton Park and Lickey Hills.
So cheaper for one to three hours, but more expensive for four.
With £5 for all day, the same as before and a £52 annual permit charge.
In the foreground one of Sutton Park’s car parks which could all become chargeable with pay and display machines in November if Birmingham City Council chiefs get the go-ahead
Sheldon Country Park has reduced fees of 75p per hour for up to three hours and £3.50 for all day, to ‘reflect the demographics of the local area’.
Charges at all three parks will apply from 9am to 6pm – the same as previously proposed. They are set to go live in October this year in Sheldon and November at the other two sites.
A new 30-minute grace period has been introduced at all parks – for people dropping off and picking up for example.
And volunteers in the parks are to be offered free permits – but that will be monitored to make sure it is not being abused.
Some £75,000 has been budgeted in Sutton to pay for traffic regulation orders – yellow lines and parking restrictions on roads and verges surrounding the park, to deter those looking to park outside and walk in.
If parking charges are introduced, they were expected to reduce car visitor numbers by 20 per cent. But the revised plans are now expected to only hit numbers by 10 per cent.
The report says evidence from Cannon Hill Park when parking charges have already been introduced has ‘shown no obvious decrease in visitor numbers’.
Read more: Proposal for iconic park set to proceed despite 78 per cent opposition
The council’s informal consultation process last year saw 5,372 respond, with the vast majority of comments relating to Sutton Park – some 4,018.
More than two thirds (2741 or 68.2 per cent) were against the parking fee proposals in Sutton, while another 11.9 per cent (479) said the park should be ‘free for Sutton Coldfield residents only’.
Just two of the 4,019 responding agreed with the original proposed parking charges in Sutton Park, while 1,230 suggested reduced charges, with a £1 flat fee the most popular suggestion.
An alternative of voluntary donation boxes was discounted due to the need for extra security, the risk of anti-social behaviour issues and ‘cash handling concerns’.
A report to the council’s cabinet this week, which is set to decide on the issue on May 13, says: “The overall approach is to ask park users to contribute towards the costs of maintaining these parks and green spaces through paying for parking.”
The report says that even with parking charges the income generated ‘falls short’ of the cost of maintaining the three parks, which will still require a ‘contribution from the General Fund’.
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‘People who are less well off will be paying more – it’s outrageous’
But Sutton Trinity councillor, David Pears (Cons.), who also chairs the Sutton Park Advisory Committee has criticised the proposals saying they are going to be ‘cost, cost, cost’.
He said: “There are so many things wrong with the report.
“There’s a lack of information on traffic regulation orders. They have said they will put some places in as a priority at the start and the rest will follow.
“I would have thought if you put a figure in the budget, Birmingham council must know from the informal feedback last year and previously where the residents live and where they have problems by their homes.
“In my patch it’s around Tudor Hill. Areas people park on like grass verges in Boldmere. And the same situation at Banners Gate.
“The question is they can put traffic regulation orders on problem roads but what can they do on the Four Oaks Estate, which is private.
“The charges are lower at Sheldon Country Park but people who are less well off coming to Sutton Park will be paying more. It’s outrageous.”
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‘The council does not care about the residents in Sutton Coldfield or anywhere else’
Cllr Pears continued: “I don’t see how they are going to mark out the parking spaces.
“They will get in pay and display machines. No decision seems to have been taken about the Wi-Fi to pay by phones.
“The charges are until 6pm. But the park closes at 4.30pm in the winter – has that been taken into account?
“People have got businesses in the park. They are really worried about the change. People going in for a chat with friends and a coffee. They are not going to be doing that as often.
“Blackroot Bistro has said there’s no allowance for staff cars to park in the park for free. So that’s an additional cost.
“In two or three years when there are yellow lines around the park, they can’t enforce the yellow lines they have now. The same company they use now are going to be used to enforce the yellow lines.
“I’m so incensed about it. Eighty three per cent of residents are dead against charges in Sutton Park.
“The council does not take any notice of what local residents think or want.
“The council does not care about the residents in Sutton Coldfield or anywhere else.
“Some of the income identified in the report is going to the budget savings. There’s no certainty at all to it.
“The residents at the end of the day are going to suffer.”
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‘This is a substantial improvement – it means totally free unlimited parking every day’
On the other side of the political spectrum, one of Sutton’s two Labour councillors, Rob Pocock (Sutton Vesey), who is the council’s cabinet member for Transformation, Governance and HR, welcomed the revised proposals.
He said: “This is a substantial improvement.
“It means totally free unlimited parking every day for the early morning dog walkers and also free parking every day for families visiting the park after school or work in the evenings.
“Parents dropping off kids for park activities will also get in free.
“And it now means continued unrestricted parking for everyone, all day every day all year, for just £1 a week.
“That’s great value by anybody’s standards and a great victory for local campaigners.
“To cap it all, the Sutton Town Council now has the chance to honour its longstanding offer to Sutton residents, to give back the historic free or subsidised stickers for us local residents who are paying them extra for the town council precept.
“That was done in the past and it can be done again now. That way we might all get something back for our money at long last!”