U-turn over the price of parking in Brighton (From The Argus)

U-turn over the price of parking in Brighton

3:30pm Saturday 28th April 2012 in News By John Keenan

Council bosses have performed a U-turn on parking charges.

Brighton and Hove City Council plans to introduce a new eight-hour tariff costing £15 in the seafront high zone, which includes Madeira Drive.

The £20 all-day charge is still in place.

A new medium tariff zone on Hove seafront from the Peace Statue to east of Fourth Avenue will cost a maximum of £10.

The plans are subject to a 21-day consultation period and, if there are any objections, it will need to go a committee.

The move comes in the wake of The Argus’s Park the Charges campaign calling for the council to review all its newly-increased parking charges.

But traders in the city say the new tariffs do not go far enough.

Adam Chinery, head of the Brighton and Hove Seafront Businesses’ Association and owner of Brighton Watersports in King’s Road Arches, said the new tariff on Madeira Drive will not help.

He said: “It will still divert people to cheaper seaside resorts and retail shopping parks outside of town centres that offer free parking.

“The available spend in our city for a family will be drastically reduced. They will spend more on parking, less during that stay, or they will stay for a shorter time.”

Claire Ottewell, boss at the Brighton and Hove Tourism Alliance, said: “The parking fee changes have already had a striking impact on the tourism sector in the city, as shown by the feedback from the city-wide survey we carried out last week.

“In conjunction with other business groups across the city, Tourism Alliance member businesses welcome a new mid-tier pricing so the leap to £20 isn’t so great, although we would be keen to see a five to six-hour tier as the 2009 tourism survey shows most car day-trippers spend that amount of time in the city.

“If parking revenues are being ring-fenced to invest in transport infrastructure, we’d like to see a clear plan of what this is, including the financial plan.” Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, said there is an urgent need to improve traffic flow, cut congestion and cut down on pollution. He said: “The council has listened to businesses and residents, and acted on their concerns.

“These adjustments will make it easier for residents and day trippers to have an affordable day out by the sea, spending more time with our traders and on our gorgeous beaches.”

Gill Mitchell, leader of the Labour and Co-operative group on the council, said: “Why are these the only areas chosen?

“The Green’s parking plans are unravelling and, suddenly, pollution doesn’t matter when they are faced with bad publicity.”