Parking tariffs set to be introduced in Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham following a cabinet decision have been criticised by a community leader, who said one hour of free parking should have been included.
Staying in these areas is currently free for three hours, but Babergh District Council announced it could no longer subsidise free parking as it faces a £6.7million budget gap over the next four years.
Now-approved plans include the introduction of a £1 charge for short stay parking for the first hour or £1 for the first two hours in long stay parking, with tariffs then rising in 50p increments.
The project will also include a reduction in the cost of all day parking in Sudbury and Hadleigh from £3 to £2.50.
During the cabinet debate on Monday, Jessie Carter, for Sudbury North West, put forward a proposal for one hour free parking to be included in the plan, which lost by six votes to two.
The tariff proposals before the council were then approved with six votes for and two against.
On Tuesday, Kathryn Grandon, for Hadleigh South, said: "The one hour of free parking was a compromise anyway because, of course, myself and most residents would prefer to retain the three hours free parking."
Under the approved plans, Blue Badge holders would continue to be allowed to park for free for up to three hours in any bay of all public car parks.
Leisure centre users in Sudbury and Hadleigh would be reimbursed for their parking charges, as would shoppers at Roys in Sudbury.
The council is also set to engage with medical centres in Lavenham and Hadleigh, as well as a mobile screening facility in Sudbury, to set up virtual permit panels inside the facilities to allow those who are collecting prescriptions or attending appointments to access free parking.
Ms Grandon said of the rebates: "I am pleased they are looking into doing this and it sounds like they are going to do it so they have listened to that aspect.
"But that's going to take an awful lot of admin. It would be easier if they just said one-hour free because that would be a solution to all of these problems and then people wouldn't be so upset."
Ms Grandon also raised fears over future reviews of the charges and how, in her view, this could lead to price increases.
"Who knows where it will be in two or four years time?" she said.
Paul Clover, for Lavenham, said after the meeting: "There are numerous examples that have been given where parking charges have turned town centres into virtual ghost towns.
"If the cabinet were at all concerned about the threat to our town centres it was within their gift to grant one hours free parking. This would still have covered the costs of running the car parks."
In a statement Babergh District Council said: "Retaining an hour’s free parking would cost the council up to £262K in lost income per year, making it impossible to deliver the aims of the parking strategy, and further complicating parking enforcement in car parks and surrounding residential streets."
The council said it is not its intention to revisit tariffs within the next couple of years and that, while leader John Ward said they must be reviewed along with all other fees and charges, they will "continue to benchmark prices with other local towns and authorities".
"It is, perhaps, also worth pointing out that these tariff changes also including a reduction in the cost of full day parking at Sudbury and Hadleigh (from £3 to £2.50), so tariff changes do not always automatically mean increases across the board," the council added.
A definitive date for implementation has not been set, but a spokesperson said it is unlikely to be before October.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel