Drivers face paying to park in eight more parks if councillors back a proposal coming before them next week.
Preston Park and East Brighton Park already have charges and drivers will have to pay at Stanmer Park from next year.
Now, charges could be brought in at eight more parks from Portslade to Woodingdean within 18 months.
The proposal is expected to raise up to £50,000 a year which Brighton and Hove City Council said it would plough back into the budget for all the city’s parks.
The eight parks earmarked for new charges are
- Easthill Park
- Happy Valley
- Hollingdean Park
- Saltdean
- Saunders Park
- Vale Park
- Victoria Recreation Ground
- Wild Park
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If the proposal wins support, the council will have to go through a legal process, including consultation, with a view to bringing in the charges by March 2022.
A report to councillors said: “At present car parking charges exist in East Brighton Park and Preston Park. Car parking charges are to be introduced at Stanmer Park early next year.
“This provides an important source of income for investment in parks where other budgets have reduced over time.
“The income from parking charges will help to support Cityparks budgets and avoid a potential reduction in services.
“Further to this, wherever possible the council wants to encourage people to avoid travelling to parks by car and to use public transport or active travel options such as walking and cycling.
“It is hoped that the introduction of car parking charges should encourage this shift which is an essential part of the decarbonisation of the city.
“Provision will be made for designated disabled parking for those residents and visitors for whom car travel is the only option.
“In addition, some park users and staff report to us that the free car parking in many parks is being used by non-park users as a source of free parking for lengthy periods of time.
“Introducing paid car parking will help to address this problem.”
A decision is expected to be made by the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee at a “virtual” meeting which is due to start at 4pm next Tuesday (24 November). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Just another way of Penalising the motorist and the Green Party making it more expensive for people to get around Brighton and the stunning surrounding areas. Shame on you and don’t forget you voted them in😔😔😔😔😔😔😔
Quite right,John. Grassroots football clubs pay about £80 for pitch and changing room facilities at Victoria Recreation Ground, with parking changes that figure will increase,there is just no end to the anti-car lobby
Encouraging active travel is good for everyone because it reduces traffic congestion, increases health and wellbeing, cuts polluting emissions and frees the roads for those who have no option but to travel in cars and vans. If it also raises revenue to maintain the parks then, again, everyone benefits. And it should deter the few who abuse our parks for free long-stay parking.
Happy Valley is close to nowhere, no one is parking long term there. I go there regular (I walk because I’m local) but I mostly see the elderly (dog walkers) and families with small children getting out of cars to use the playground. The idea that these people should be riding their bikes there is a joke. Also, are we really looking to encourage the use of public transport during a pandemic?! This is wrong on so many levels.
Why don’t the council ticket all the vans and buses that are permanently left in Preston Park?
They could follolw the example at Wish Road, where parking is free within certain hours. This prevents vehicles being parked there permanently. But it looks like the council are aiming to prevent any of them, apart form buses and taxis, to enter anywhere in or near Brighton and Hove, so that businesses will falter and go down the drain, unemployment will rise enormously, and the place will be littered with alcoholics, druggies and vandals.
This is all about money but if people park elsewhere likely to make a loss which means even less money for our parks. With a maximum of 50 thousand a year net income predicted this is a tiny amount (parking makes tens of millions for the council already).
This will have a negative impact on peoples’ health (as will use parks less and so exercise less), to dogs who will now be walked on lead more rather than free to run in large parks. To families using the playgrounds (and struggling to move all their things without a car) and to those growing their own food on allotments.
We already know from Preston Park that this doesn’t stop long term parking as not enforced. And it isn’t about decarbonising as non-polluting cars and vans have to pay too (why aren’t the “greens” promoting electric vehicles?)
The green and labour councillors voted to make people pay to park at Stanmer (despite individual councillors listing concerns and seeing the negative impacts it would have on some groups). This was despite poor public transport options and a consultation where over 90% disagreed with charges. So they’re not listening at the moment. At least this will implement near election time – so hopefully their ears and votes will be more responsive to their electorate
Why not have free parking for three hours and then charge after that? Stops abuse and lets the car park’s have fair usage.
“ Further to this, wherever possible the council wants to encourage people to avoid travelling to parks by car. AND Provision will be made for designated disabled parking for those residents and visitors for whom car travel is the only option”.
BUT, for most of all Brighton and Hove residents, Stanmer Park is only realistically accessible by car.