Mayor sneaks in overnight parking charges across borough – Inside Croydon

Our motoring correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON goes through the fine print of the Tory council’s latest wheeze to rake in an extra £1 million a year from residents – including charging drivers of zero-emission cars. seven times more than before

No alternative: just before the end of March, the council started removing its parking meters – regardless of public consultation

One of the borough’s biggest residents’ associations claims the council is trying to sneak in night-time parking charges, which could be another massive blow to Croydon’s already struggling night-time economy, also hitting thousands of residents in new blocks. of apartments.

The plans were approved by Conservative mayor Jason Perry, with a report signed by his cabinet member for streets and environment, Scott Roche.

Inside Croydon reported this week how Mayor Perry set up the council’s environmental review panel, appointing climate crisis skeptic Alasdair Stewart, a Tory councillor, as chairman. The move was described by opposition councilors as poor Perry “marking his homework”.

Money-spinning parking proposals could be among the top items on the agenda of the now Conservative-led environmental review panel.

The council claims its proposals are “cost neutral”, but official documents also suggest an extra £1m a year, up from £10m, from the parking proposals .

The council proposed some free parking periods in the borough’s district centres, but since March – well before the public consultation was completed – it has removed all parking meters from Croydon’s streets and car parks, forcing the public to use a smartphone app. or, if they don’t own a smartphone, try their luck to find a nearby store that offers online payment facilities.

Money Spinner: Conservative cabinet member Scott Roche

Buried in Schedule C of the council’s official papers are the new night-time charges – which could affect thousands of residents in flats built in the last decade without dedicated parking spaces.

Parking in Croydon Council car parks has always been free after 6pm. Under these proposals, the only place where overnight parking will remain free is New Addington.

The council says: “The changes are intended to encourage lower emission vehicles and help address air quality and public health targets. They are also intended to improve access to facilities to serve local shoppers and the economies of district centres.”

However, the council’s own report shows it plans to HIGH parking fees lower emission cars. Under Mayor Perry’s proposals, drivers of zero-emission vehicles will pay seven times more for car parking than at present.

Huge increases in annual pass fees are also being proposed – some increases of £700 or more.

The council also says its recommendations are “aimed at simplifying parking charges”.

Some of the proposals included in the council’s formal consultation were not mentioned when the various schemes were first launched last year.

The council wants to completely remove all simple and time-limited free parking. This is being replaced by pay-by-phone parking, with a zero charge for the first hour. The charge is then £2.40 for two hours, “almost cheap”, according to one resident.

“No other council outside of London uses this system,” they say.

Problems with using the RingGo app were brought up to Perry and the pro-pollution board last year and ignored. Paying by phone means that every Croydon resident who downloads the app has to provide personal and financial details to a third party, private company, with all the data security risks associated with that.

Until now, the Council has remained tight-lipped about how or who will be able to use the data it accumulates about people’s car use and parking habits.

Some also argue that the phone application system discriminates against older residents. “Older people are much less likely to use a smartphone, use the internet on their phone or use internet banking. How should they park their car in Croydon?

While the council insists there will be a PayPoint alternative available in stores at all locations around the borough where people can register their car to park on the street for free, studies last year highlighted the system’s serious shortcomings.

At the time of the trial, the PayPoint advertised in Purley was at the Shell petrol station – a long walk from the car parks. Sources working at the garage say the PayPoint there never worked.

East Coulsdon Residents’ Association submitted its response to the council’s consultation this week.

Business Interests: Charlie King from ECRA

ECRA President Charlie King wrote: “We welcome the adoption of our proposal for free one-hour parking and second-hour paid parking at a reasonable price for district centers,” ECRA says.

“We also welcome the fact that this will be standardized across the borough.”

But he added that the council plans to extend checks to neighborhood shopping parades, which have never before been measured or controlled in this way. This, says ECRA, “will have a negative impact on these shops and the local economy”.

ECRA has called for a 15-minute “grace period” in the one-hour free parking to allow people time to visit a PayPoint, which, they say, “takes some time and can be inconvenient in the very short term. parking”.

They add: “It is also harmful and discriminatory to those who do not have or cannot use a mobile phone, particularly older people, of whom there are large numbers in the local area.”

The 15-minute grace period “would also allow people who just want to drop off or pick up someone or something from a local shop or business the opportunity to do so without the risk of incurring a penalty”. It is a system commonly used by supermarkets and train stations. “Government guidelines suggest at least 10 minutes.”

And ECRA rejects the notion of night parking charges. “The existing free parking after 6pm and all day on Sundays is very important to the economy of Coulsdon and must remain.”

King said of night-time parking charges: “Government policy says parking should reflect the needs of businesses and communities.

“This does not.”

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