People trying to dodge residents’ parking schemes by using council-owned bays they have not paid for are set to be turfed out.
Many Brighton and Hove council tenants and leaseholders rent bays near their homes from the council – but have increasingly found the spaces taken by people who have not paid for them.
Now, the city council is set to extend parking enforcement on council land in a bid to stamp out the practice, subject to approval by the housing committee tomorrow.
The council will not pay for the extra enforcement, instead getting a cut of any fines imposed, and says it also expects residents parking permit income to rise as a result.
The council’s housing chairman Bill Randall said: ‘We’re proposing to extend parking enforcement on council housing land so it’s easier for our residents to park nearer to their homes and to deter those that park in bays and areas they do not pay for.
“The proposal follows complaints from residents who rent bays in areas but are unable to park in these because other unauthorised drivers have parked there.
“This will give us a fairer city-wide scheme that could also generate much needed income that we can invest back into the city’s housing.”
Barry Smith, who lives in a council block in east Brighton, said: “I think it’s a terrific idea. It would solve an awful lot of problems with parking for council residents.
“At the moment we drive out and don’t know whether we are going to get back and be able to park near our homes because of visitors taking our spaces.
“On top of this occasionally there are people who don’t live in the block using our parking spaces.”
Brighton and Hove City Council has a contract with Ethical Parking Management to provide enforcement on 56 of the identified 80 parking sites on housing land. The latest proposal extends enforcement to 24 more sites.
These are Lavender House in Kemp Town, Newstead at the Seven Dials, Philip Court in Hove, Highcroft Lodge, Southover Street in Hanover, Ingram Crescent in West Hove, Manor Gardens, Henfield Close, Playden Close, Flimwell Close, Byworth Close and Ansty Close in Whitehawk.
The contract is concessionary as the council does not pay for this service but instead receives 13 per cent the value of parking tickets which goes into the Housing Revenue Account.
The proposal will be considered by councillors at tomorrow’s housing committee.
Pity they didn’t go for Unethical Parking Services. I guess they must’ve been too expensive…