Petition opposes new parking charge
A PETITION protesting against the car parking charges being introduced at Birmingham’s flagship Cannon Hill Park has been signed by more than 2,100 people in its first week.
But the council is still pressing ahead with plans to charge motorists for parking.
The charge will be £2 for the first four hours or £3 thereafter, with fees payable from 7am to 11.30pm, and also on bank holidays.
But resident Kaja Fawthrop has used www.change.org to begin a petition, which she hopes offers a “possible compromise” solution.
Ms Fawthrop said: “Since Cannon Hill Park is opposite Edgbaston cricket ground, the council might permit the first three hours to be free parking as Solihull Council do at, for example, Brueton Park, meaning the dog walkers and 700 park runners could still attend for free.
“Thereafter, make it £5 per day, not the currently proposed charges of £2 for four hours and £3 for the day. I attend Park Run with my children, and British Military Fit- ness, too. Participants on a Saturday morning arrive from a variety of locations across the city and beyond and need the car park to park their cars.
“Were Birmingham council to charge for this, it would result in fewer people attending the event and getting fit, or having a coffee in the Mac, walking their dog, etc.”
Councillor Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment, said: “Cuts to our parks budget as part of wider, much-publicised funding reductions mean we need to find money for essential works, such as surface im-provements, CCTV and lighting. While we recognise some people have concerns about the introduction of charges for something that was previously free, these very reasonable charges will enable us to invest in these muchneeded improvements to the parking facilities at Cannon Hill Park.”