A public meeting held online for the public to ask questions about plans to charge motorists to park in Sutton Park was criticised for not allowing verbal questions – with many written ones also remaining unanswered
Sutton Coldfield Conservative councillors and campaigners have joined forces in opposition to Birmingham City Council’s plans to charge motorists to park in Sutton Park
An online meeting held into proposals to charge Birmingham park users to park in one of the city’s most popular beauty spots has been slammed as a ‘shambles’.
The ‘Teams’ meeting into proposals by Birmingham City Council to charge motorists to park in Sutton Park was held on Tuesday (August 26) night but was far from an open consultation according to attendees.
The meeting did not allow residents to speak directly to officers – instead questions had to be typed, with some being answered and others ‘ignored’.
Read more: 40 Sutton Park car parking charges questions from residents as deadline looms
Sutton Coldfield town and city councillor, David Pears (Cons.) who also chairs the Sutton Park Advisory Committee, described the meeting as the ‘worst consultation meeting I have ever attended’.
He said some residents were unable to join the meeting, some took 30 minutes to do so and other gave up trying.
But the meeting did reveal some new details on the plans to charge residents.
Cllr Pears said the park will be ‘spoilt’ with yellow lines set to be painted around the roads to prevent motorists parking other than in the 30 designated parking areas.
One area where residents park around the ‘triangle’ within the park near Town Gate is set to be a no park zone with yellow lines being painted and people directed to the car park area near the Visitors Centre.
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
Annual season ticket passes will be per car registration and cannot be transferred between cars.
Drivers will still need a ticket even if they are using the park for up to 30 minutes which is free.
In total there will be around 30 designated parking areas with around 1,000 car parking spaces.
Although, only disabled bays will be marked out as there is no funding to mark out standard bays.
Wooden posts will be ‘hammered into the ground’ to alert drivers to the parking charges.
An entrance to Sutton Park, Birmingham(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
And outside the park there will be wooden posts used to protect grass in Park Road but no mention was made of the regular parking spot on the verge along Monmouth Drive.
There will be new yellow lines, traffic regulation orders, outside near Town Gate and banners Gate with roads mentioned including Clifton Road, Monmouth Drive to Jevons Road and Stonehouse Road.
There will be a 25 per cent discount for staff at businesses in the park bringing the annual pass to £39 from £52.
The parking restrictions in the park and surrounding areas will be policed by parking firm NSL which already does the same job around schools and hospitals. But it is not clear if they will employ more staff to do so.
Read more: Public consultation begins into parking charges at three ‘destination’ parks
Any surplus money raised from car parking fines will go to Birmingham City Council’s highways budget – not back into the park according to Cllr Pears.
The Miller and Carter and Brown’s Brasserie (former Toby Carvery) car parks will be getting ANPR cameras. But those ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras will not be available at park entrances ‘due to legal reasons’.
Wyndley Leisure Centre is also looking to introduce ANPR cameras for its car park. But it is believed users of the leisure centre and swimming pool will not be charged to park.
And Walsall and Lichfield council are set to be paid from Birmingham’s budget should they need to put in TROs/yellow lines in roads to stop people parking there.
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Cllr Pears said: “This was the worst consultation meeting I have attended. No two-way discussion.
“We were told we will receive a copy of the questions and answers in due course.
“The park is going to be spoilt by yellow lines around the place.
“It’s just so ridiculous. With the lines, wooden posts and charging scheme it’s going to spoil the place and not a penny is going to be spent on the park to start with.
“It’s an absolute total shambles. I’m anticipating it will go to the cabinet member and I suspect that decision has already been made.”
The proposal to charge motorists to park in Sutton Park, Lickey Hills Country Park and Sheldon Country Park is currently in a public consultation period which closes this Friday (August 29).
Residents can respond to the consultation here.
Read more: Business owner slams beauty spot car park charges plan as hundreds oppose it
The city council has previously said the parking charges proposals are needed ‘to achieve necessary savings and help sustain, protect and maintain our 660 parks and green spaces’.
Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We have some wonderful parks and green spaces across the city, but we need to be able to maintain them for the benefit of everyone. Introducing parking charges at these three major sites will help protect and maintain all our green spaces.
“Whether you use these parks for walking, cycling, exercising or meeting up with people, we want to hear your views on rate of charging and when we you should be charged.
“We are also aware of potential impact of displacement parking and will therefore be looking at traffic restrictions in existing hotspot areas and any need for further restrictions following residents’ feedback.”
As well as the Sutton Park consultation, there are others for Lickey Hills Country Park and Sheldon Country Park. They all close on Friday (August 29).