PROPOSALS to double the cost for residents parking outside their own homes have been agreed in principle by Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Cabinet – but could be deferred until 2023 amid concern about the cost-of-living crisis.
The Cabinet agreed yesterday (Thursday March 10) to recommendations by the On-street Parking Management Cross Party Working Group to increase the cost of an annual residential parking permit from £25 to £50 – and treble the cost of households’ second and guest permits to £75 each.
The proposals will now go out to a public consultation – with a new suggestion to defer the price hikes until 2023 to allow consideration of how the cost-of-living crisis will impact residents such as key workers.
Coun Jerry Roodhouse told the Cabinet meeting that the spiralling cost of living was a concern.
The Liberal Democrat group leader said he had been contacted by a care worker who was ‘absolutely devastated’ at the possibility of a price rise.
“She says she might as well go and work for Amazon because she’ll make more money,” he said.
“The direct impact of these increases – added to increases in Council Tax, food, and energy costs – is going to devastate some families.
“Then you ask people to look after elderly people or do work in the community – they’re getting hammered at every level.”
He agreed the proposals should be deferred, adding that they didn’t consider ‘nuances’ such as extra vehicles used by Houses of Multiple Occupation, household incomes, and the fact that WCC’s overall Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) scheme – which includes the permit scheme – generates an annual surplus of just over £2million.
Council Leader Coun Izzi Seccombe agreed that a deferment would allow time for the Cabinet to consider how the proposals would impact residents and town centres, describing the cost of living as a ‘keen concern’.
She said the public consultation would “take consideration of the timescales we would wish to adopt in light of the cost of living increase, and in particular, consideration of key workers”.
The results of the public consultation will come back to the Cabinet for further consideration.
Campaign group Concerned Rugbeians Against Parking Proposals (CRAPP) will hold a meeting next week to discuss the proposals with WCC officers.
Group chair Richard Harrington said: “We would urge residents to come along and meet the officers to show the strength of feeling in the area.
“Your local councillors will be at the meeting to provide support and ensure that your views are heard.”
The meeting takes place at the West Indian Association in Railway Terrace, Rugby, at 7.30pm on Wednesday (March 16).
Visit the CRAPP Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/4yuzk4me or contact Mr Harrington on 07739 883711 or at [email protected] for more information.
