Council and democracy

Two hour pay and display frozen yet again

Charges for 2009/10 look like remaining unchanged for the first two hours in a pay and display bay - the third successive year that the present Croydon Council has steered clear of an increase.

The proposed freeze is particularly significant because around 80% of the money the council receives from parking charges comes from people parking for up to two hours - and this time slot is especially helpful for customers visiting local shops.

However, rises of between 5 - 10% have been suggested for stays over two hours to help encourage the turnover of on-street parking spaces.
 
The cost of resident parking permits is also going up but will still be among the cheapest in London. At £44 for the first permit (up from £40) this represents a daily cost of just 12p. The limit of three permits per household will be maintained with the second permit costing £72 (£67) and the third £175 (£165).

Said cabinet member for highways and environment, Councillor Phil Thomas: "With the gloom of the recession upon us it's more important than ever that the council does what it can to help the local economy. The last thing our businesses want is to lose customers because of high parking charges. We may have lost the ability to influence multi-storey car park prices because the previous council sold out to NCP. But freezing on-street costs over the last three years shows the kind of action I am happy to take in the best interest of Croydon businesses. Each year something like 3,500,000 pay and display tickets are bought for stays up to two hours so I am positive our approach will be welcomed by a huge number of people.

"Despite the small increase in resident parking permits, charges in the borough are generally well below the level of other places in south London. In fact, where a first permit relates to a controlled parking zone operating six days a week, the cost is just 12p a day. I don’t think anyone can complain that this doesn’t represent value for money."

New charges will be introduced from 30 March 2009. The full range of proposals will be considered at the Traffic Management cabinet committee on 24 February. This includes the prospect of free parking for the first 15 minutes as part of the Portland Road regeneration scheme and a free 30-minute period in the one-hour maximum stay bays in Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon.