A long-promised city-wide parking review is due to go before Brighton and Hove City Council cabinet members next month. Senior councillors will consider a report following a review of parking undertaken by an external consultant, according to the council’s “forward plan”. At a meeting on Thursday, September 26, the 10-member cabinet is expected to be asked to approve a way forward.
Labour announced the review in July last year, after halting planned parking charge increases which would have trebled prices around the Royal Sussex County Hospital, near London Road railway station and in central Hove. Councillor Trevor Muten said in January that the review was intended to create “a more equitable parking service for residents, visitors and businesses alike”. Councillor Muten, the cabinet member for transport, parking and the public realm, was speaking at the now defunct Transport and Sustainability Committee which he chaired.
At the January meeting, councillors agreed to keep light-touch schemes where, twice a day for an hour at a time, parking is restricted to those with a resident or visitor permit. A public consultation rejected proposals to turn these areas into full parking zones, with restrictions from 9am to 8pm. At the time, Green councillor Steve Davis suggested a city-wide parking zone.
He said that whenever a new residents’ parking area was created, parking problems were displaced, usually to a neighbouring area. Councillor Davis said: “We recently had a parking zone in Surrenden, and this was voted through in a minority administration, and now the residents of Patcham, in particular, Withdean Court Avenue and The Cedars, are struggling a lot. “Residents can’t wait.
It’s an onslaught. What would the administration’s view be on having a city-wide parking zone?” Councillor Muten agreed that when a new zone was created, many drivers parked in nearby non-permit areas, sometimes for weeks at a time. Brighton and Hove’s parking problems could not be solved by adding more parking zones “patched on to the end” of existing ones, he said The cabinet is due to meet at 2pm on Thursday 26 September at Hove Town Hall.
The agenda should be published at least five working days before the meeting which is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website..
