Parking income looks like being more than £1 million under budget this year despite higher charges.
As a result, the council’s Labour cabinet is looking to make a series of changes aimed at bringing in more money while preparing the way for more red routes.
Brighton and Hove City Council makes more from parking than almost every other council in the country and has employed consultants to help tackle the projected shortfall.
But car park charges are also among the highest and over the past three years all council-run car parks have suffered “a steady decrease” in demand.
A newly published report to the council’s cabinet said: “Parking can be a controversial policy area with significant impact on the daily lives of residents, businesses and the 11 million visitors who visit the city each year.
“While visitor numbers are growing again, parking revenues are not matching this increase.
“It is recognised that over the past five years parking tariffs in Brighton and Hove have increased to the extent they have become more of a deterrent than an incentive and prohibitively expensive for some visitors.
“This has led to fewer cars coming into the city centre to park.”
“The number and extent of controlled parking zones (CPZs) have also increased over time as greater pressure on neighbouring areas have led to new CPZs being requested by residents.
“This has led to a knock-on effect where further parking pressures have rippled out from the centre, affecting outlying parts of the city.
“Over several decades, at least 200 different tariffs have been established, which include high, medium and low-emission tariffs for resident permits and visitor on-street parking.
“As a result, there is now a complex array of parking tariffs that are likely deterring visitors and residents alike.”
A review was ordered after higher charges failed to bring in as much extra money as expected and next week the cabinet is expected to agree a series of changes.
The report to the cabinet said that parking was expected to bring in £45.5 million in the 2024-25 financial year but was expected fall short by £1.156 million.
Opposition councillors Samer Bagaeen and Steve Davis proposed a city-wide parking zone but this was dismissed because it was feared that it would fuel “internal commuting” by car.
The cabinet is being asked to approve short and long-term plans – and the latter include the possible merger of some parking zones.
The short-term action plan includes
- review signs to promote PayPoint
- reduce fees for underused parking areas
- introduce paid parking in some light-touch areas
- bring in weekend parking tariffs
- ensure charges in parks are similar to surrounding parking zone
- continue with financial recovery plan
The report said: “Trialling reduced or discounted tariffs do have a risk because if parking demand does not increase, income may reduce from the lower tariffs introduced.
“However, it is anticipated that these measures would stimulate demand and generate increased paid parking income.”
Cabinet members are also being asked to approve the medium to long-term plans for changing parking up to 2030.
Before the end of 2025, the council is considering a trial of virtual permits and offering “displacement permits” for use in neighbouring parking zones.
Proposals also include renaming car parks after nearby attractions and trying to attract commuters to the under-used London Road car park.
By 2027, the council is looking to reduce the number emission categories for all permits to two.
The council hopes to be able to enforce pavement parking rules, if the government changes the law, and to align on-street and off-street charges.
By 2030, the aim is to explore charges based on vehicle size, create or merge new parking zones, simplify restrictions and bring in more red routes,
The cabinet is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm next Thursday (26 September). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Fact file
More than 26 parking zones currently cover 1,057 streets, with 46,728 on-street parking bays. Of these, 65 per cent are for permit holders only and 27 per cent are shared permit or pay bays.
Demand for on-street parking is highest in controlled parking zones covering the centre of Brighton and reduces in parking zones further out.
In the busiest zones, in the centre of Brighton, resident parking permit uptake is 100 per cent but in outlying zones the uptake is 80 to 90 per cent.
The average cost of resident and business permits across all zones and for all emission categories in Brighton and Hove is higher than most similar cities.
The average hourly on-street parking tariff in the centre of Brighton and along the seafront is higher than in most other cities.
The average hourly parking charge for off-street parking in the centre of Brighton is higher than in most cities.
Council car parks in the centre of Brighton have a higher occupancy rate than those further out. London Road car park is “significantly” underused.
Since 2021, fewer drivers have parked in council-operated car parks.
Surplus income from parking charges is legally ringfenced and, among other things, funds bus passes for older people and the disabled as well as subsidising some bus routes.
It also funds some road improvements and maintenance as well as air quality and environmental measures.