Fringe Box

Socialize

Twitter

Cost of Residents’ Parking Permits Set to Rise by Over Half to £80

Published on: 14 Apr, 2022
Updated on: 15 Apr, 2022

By Julie Armstrong

local democracy reporter

It could cost Surrey residents 60 per cent more to park outside their homes as the council looks to increase on-street parking charges for the first time in over 10 years.

Permits reserve the road in busy areas for use by its resident permit holders to avoid spaces getting filled up by shoppers or commuters.

At the moment it costs residents £50 for the year, but the council wants to increase it to £80 and has launched a consultation to ask for the public’s views.

Cllr Will Forster

County councillor Will Forster, Liberal Democrats group leader, said: “Introducing substantially higher parking permit costs at this time is only going to add to the acute pressure on household finances already being felt by Surrey residents.”

A second permit per household would rise from £75 to £100 and any further ones would each cost £130.

All permits would go up £4 every two years from April 2024 to April 2028 in response to inflation.

But carers’ permits, currently costing £10 a year, would be issued for free.

All these changes were proposed back in January 2020, when Cllr Hazel Watson warned they would have a negative impact on Dorking town centre.

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said on-street parking charges have not risen since 2011 and an increase is needed to cover the cost of civil enforcement officers’ time so they can administer the scheme.

He said: “It is a recognised principle that the costs of a permit parking scheme should be borne by those that derive a benefit from it and should not be subsidised by the general taxpayer.”

Cllr Forster is encouraging everyone who would be affected by the changes to make their views known through the consultation by the end of this month.

He said: “Many families will already be not just feeling the pinch but suffering genuine hardship at this time and it doesn’t seem right that the county council is adding even more to that financial burden.”

In other proposed changes, the number of daily visitors’ permits each household is allowed per year would rise to 150.

These would go up to £3 in for example busier town centres but remain at £2 elsewhere.

Residents can make their views known at https://www.surreysays.co.uk/environment-and-infrastructure/permit-parking-review-2022/ or by post to Parking Team (Permits2022), Hazel House, Merrow Lane, Guildford GU4 7BQ. The consultation ends April 30.

Share This Post

Leave a Comment

Please see our comments policy. All comments are moderated and may take time to appear.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *