Backlash over parking charges at beauty spots

CITY parks bosses will be urged to drop plans to charge for car parking at the Lickey Hills and other major parks in the city.

Opposition Conservatives are demanding the Labour leadership also scraps charges already introduced at Cannon Hill Park and guarantee free access at all parks.

Labour-run Birmingham City Council sparked controversy last year with the introduction of charges at Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston to raise funds for improvements.

They also announced parking meters would be installed at Sutton Park, Rectory Park, Perry Park, Edg- baston Reservoir, Victoria Common and Lickey Hills Country Park later this year.

But Tory backbenchers Cllr Debbie Clancy (Northfield) and Cllr Des Flood (Bartley Green) have tabled a motion demanding they keep the parks free for motorists.

The motion states: “We believe that as the city’s parks belong to the people of the city and are funded through their taxes we should keep them free to use and access. As such, there should be no charges introduced for car parking in any city park.”

Cllr Clancy said she was particularly concerned about the prospect of charges at the Lickey Hills on the southern edge of Birmingham, where public transport is limited, and feared nearby Cofton Park could be targeted next.

“I don’t think this is the way to go. We want to encourage more park use and more activities in parks, but we are making it harder for people to get there,” she said.

She added that as a money-raising exercise to help cover the parks budget, it was flawed because the council ended up spending money dealing with the fall-out, such as creating parking restrictions and running residents’ parking schemes around parks.

The introduction of charges at Cannon Hill was initially blocked by a backbench committee last year after it emerged local residents had not been consulted. The fees are £2 for four hours or £3 for the whole day.

Council bosses said they wanted to raise money to fund resurfacing of the pot-holed car park and lighting.

A report added that the “introduction of the parking scheme will continue to support the council’s longer term principles to promote and support green transport options and reduce car use across the city”.

We want to encourage more park use but we are making it harder for people to get there Cllr Debbie Clancy