£300 parking fee to be reviewed
Adam Hewitt • Published 6 Dec 2010 09:30
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A HIKE in the cost of extra parking permits will be re-examined by councillors.
Lib Dem chairman of the corporate scrutiny panel, Cllr Gareth Epps, and Green councillor Rob White, agreed with Labour's motion calling for a second look at the proposed £300 charge for a discretionary parking permit, which includes a non-refundable £50 just to apply.
At the panel's meeting on Wednesday last week, councillors 'called in' the changes, meaning they will have to go back before Reading Borough Council's Cabinet.
But they agreed with the rest of the changes to residents' parking, including merging many of the zones and changing the costs.
Cllr White called the proposed £300 charge "eye-watering".
Under the new rules, first permits for households in residents' parking zones are free but second permits cost £60.
Discretionary permits are for people who live just outside a zone, businesses nearby, and people like charity workers who make emergency calls within parking zones, teachers, landlords, nannies and carers.
From April 2009 to March 2010, 212 homes had discretionary permits, as well as 408 carers, 889 healthcare professionals, seven nannies and 40 teachers. To apply for a discretionary parking permit is currently free and, if successful, the cost depends on circumstances and is often nothing.
Cllr Epps said: "I have residents who have to rely on discretionary permits for a variety of reasons, including errors made by the council when granting planning permission. I've recently won discretionary permits for residents in London Street and South Street whose on-street parking disappeared as the parking meters came in."
But he said the wider changes to residents' parking are "common sense".
Cllr White said: "Discretionary parking permits are one way to create a fairer system
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 09 Dec 10
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