Resident parking permits for second and third cars will be cheaper in the coming year as the existing surcharge is dropped. Drivers will pay just the standard rate.
The reprieve is the result of computer software issues and will also mean scrapping associated discounts for those on low incomes who receive a council tax reduction or universal credit.
A report to councillors said that changes “cannot be implemented in 2024-25 due to the IT (information technology) development requirements” but can be reintroduced in future years.
Currently, Brighton and Hove City Council charges £365 a year for a second car in a zone with a full resident parking scheme and £536.55 for a third car and any further cars.
This is an extra £171.55 for a full permit for a second car and an extra £343.10 for a third car and every additional car on top of the basic £193.45 permit charge.
The proposals for the coming financial year, including a raft of changes, are contained in a report on proposed fees and charges.
The report has been published with the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee due to meet next week when fees and charges for 2024-25 are due to be set.
It said: “These parking fees and charges increases are mainly in line with inflation and the council’s current system of charging.
“This may change in the future as a parking review is under way and the findings will be reported in May / June 2024.”
Permits for zones with a light-touch parking scheme look likely to become more expensive with a proposed price rise of about 25 per cent.
The council consulted on turning light-touch zones into full zones and aligning the prices with full zones but does not plan to proceed with either proposal after clear feedback from residents.
The price of a full-year light-touch permit for a car with standard emissions is £131.40 and is expected to go up to £164.25.
The price of some permits could go down slightly including for a 90-day permit for a low-emission vehicle in a zone with a full parking scheme, where the proposed drop is from £41 to £39.60.
For a vehicle with standard emissions, the proposed drop is from £52.70 to £52.20 while for high-emission vehicles the price is expected to rise slightly from £87.80 to £91.80.
The price of most visitor permits is expected to be frozen at £4.15, with those in high-demand zones proposed to rise from £5.05 to £5.35 and in light-touch zones from £2.80 to £3.50.
Most other permits – such as business, traders, doctors and school permits – are slated for increases of about 6 per cent.
The report on fees and charges also said: “It is also proposed to remove the ringfence in relation to car parks located at Preston Park and East Brighton Park.
“The removal of the ringfence will allow any net surpluses generated to be released within City Environmental Management budgets or wider council budgets to support pressures or other initiatives.”
A separate report to the same committee said that the council made a surplus of almost £33 million from parking in the past financial year.
Once costs are taken into account, any surplus must be used for transport and highway projects, such as concessionary fares, supported bus services, transport projects and environmental improvements.
The Transport and Sustainability Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4pm on Tuesday 7 February. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
I note there is no discussion around the quantity of guest permits a person is allowed to buy.
There’s a bloke you can buy fake ones from. His charges are far more reasonable.
Permit charging is an extortion racket
And are these permits only available online, while council staff are still shirking from home?
why on earth ? This encourages car ownership. Yer another IT problem- is BHCC run by the Post Office?
It takes some pressure of people who need to run multiple vehicles, like a car and a work van.
There’s only a certain amount of space in this city. If you want to fill more of it with your multiple private vehicles then you should be charged accordingly
33 million surplus it’s outrages, how much of that is wasted, roads have pot hole’s when you are travelling on a bus it’s like it’s got square wheels, Brighton and Hove roads are a disgrace.
I note there is no discussion around the quantity of guest permits a person is allowed to buy. == Council Rules??
There’s a bloke you can buy fake ones from. His charges are far more reasonable. == Share the intel.
Permit charging is an extortion racket. == Yes
And are these permits only available online, while council staff are still shirking from home? = YEP… slackers!!
& contemptuous just like EDF office for local walkins…. contemptuous to BHCC residents and EDF customers.
why on earth ? This encourages car ownership. Yer another IT problem- is BHCC run by the Post Office? == Maybe PO or Fijitsu??
So this is Labour “getting the basics right”?
Unbelievable incompetence to scrap two progressive measures – one to discourage multiple car ownership and the other the remove discounts for those with lowest income because of an IT failure.
This administration is shambolic – a continuous series of screw-ups. Why is it getting such a free ride – it should be called out and held accountable but ppl just shrug and walk on.
Crazy.
Glad there was a reprise on the light to full blown scheme, at least i can still shop in those areas instead of having to go to burgess hill, worthing etc due to parking costs! I wonder if this council realises how much business they turn away die to their “eco” measures…
Where the hell do the clowncil think the extra 25 percent is coming from?
Greedy at a time when everybody except for themselves is struggling.
I truly detest this city now
Given that BHCC make in excess of £30m from parking charges, (and that most people use the roads and pavements even if just for public transport, walking or cycling), has the time come for a separate charge to be paid by non-motorists? I imagine everyone supports the free bus pass scheme. Surely they must also feel it is their social duty to make a contribution toward it?
Perhaps something like a non-motorist ‘Transport and Social Contribution Charge’ for those who do not currently pay anything toward these essential and costly services?
Or do you think many financially solvent people should enjoy the benefits and make no contribution?
Roads are paid for by General taxation that we all pay, regardless if we own cars or not.
Modifications to roads and schemes involving new cycle lanes in the city such as VG3 are largely funded by the profit from parking charges. The bus pass scheme is entirely funded by parking profits.
Being wilfully obtuse very rarely gives rise to a meaningful point.
I can’t believe that we voted for Labour and ended up with Tory tax cuts for the rich. Why are they making it cheaper to have a 2nd or 3rd car. I wonder how many councillors with 2nd or 3rd cars benefit? We should be making it harder for households to have 3 cars and I thought we were supposed to walk, cycle bu and train. This is a regressive tax reduction.
How many councillors and officers have more rhan car? Surely they should make a Declaration of Interest before voting for something that benefits them financially?
Not for things like personal car ownership; unless you owned a car business.