Birmingham City Council’s Labour Administration have launched public consultations announcing their intention to bring forward car parking charges in 3 of the largest country parks in and around the City – Lickey Hills, Sheldon, and Sutton Park. The Labour Administration is currently looking to reduce costs and raise finance to balance its budget, currently forecast to run at a £216M deficit in ‘24/25, and cover its equal pay liability of £760M and the £100M overspend on its disastrous rollout of a new finance and hr system, Oracle.
Birmingham Labour have attempted to impose parking charges in Birmingham City Council’s country parks several times in recent years, with each attempt being met with strong resistance from residents and opposition councillors. Petitions have been submitted to Full Council with thousands of signatures calling for the Council to cancel the plans on each occasion.
Cllr David Pears (Con, Sutton Trinity) said:
Time and time again, the Labour Administration has attempted to introduce these parking charges. Every time, residents have been clear that they strongly oppose these charges at Sutton Park. Now the Labour Administration has released another of their recent “consultations” which we cannot take as being run in good faith. I’m certain residents will reject Labour’s plans once again – unfortunately, it seems that Labour are determined to impose these unfair charges regardless.
Cllr Adrian Delany (Con, Rubery & Rednal) said:
We’ve been in this situation with the City’s country parks like the Lickey Hills in the past, and residents are also clear that they don’t want these charges introduced. This is a cynical attempt by panicked Labour politicians to extort money from Birmingham’s residents in order to use public assets which were left to the people of Birmingham. Given the locations of these parks, most of the people who are reliant on cars to get there are those driving from less affluent areas further away. These charges deny them the opportunity to access green space that is badly lacking within walking distance of where they live.
Cllr Pears continued:
Introducing these charges will disproportionately impact the elderly, disabled, and people with young families. Of course, other people this will affect include dog walkers, outdoor fitness instructors and classes. These charges will have a negative impact on public health overall, as fewer people will pursue outdoor exercise in green spaces. Yet this is totally unnecessary as our alternative budget, approved by the Commissioners and Finance Team as a viable budget, scrapped these charges. Sadly, Labour councillors voted against our proposals.
Cllr Delaney finished:
Let us look at the practical side of this too. The borrowing needed to put the infrastructure required for these charges in place will likely swallow up most of the revenue raised over the next decade, and any small surplus that is achieved is unlikely to be reinvested in the parks themselves, but instead be a drop in Labour’s ocean of financial crisis. In the Lickey Hills in particular, the introduction could mean paying business rates to Bromsgrove District Council, where the car park is located, as well as necessitating contributions to Worcestershire County Council for necessary works and enforcement on the surrounding roads which will be impacted. No one wins, everyone loses, and Labour’s double whammy of higher taxes for fewer services spreads ever further.
Links you might find useful
Views sought on parking charges for three Birmingham parks | Birmingham City Council
Proposed parking charges at Sheldon Country Park - Birmingham City Council - Citizen Space
Proposed parking charges at Lickey Hills Country Park - Birmingham City Council - Citizen Space
Proposed parking charges at Sutton Park - Birmingham City Council - Citizen Space
You can help stop the introduction of parking fees at parks by signing our petition below!
