A 40% hike in parking fees but FEWER pothole repairs – drivers suffer yet again
DRIVERS will be hit in the pocket under punishing money-making plans by councils.
Struggling local authorities are set to issue swingeing parking charge hikes and reduce spending on roads.
Motorists in some areas could pay up to 40 per cent more for a parking space, while other councils hope to introduce Saturday parking charges and road maintenance budgets are being stripped back.
Councils want to raise millions of pounds for services, saying they have been seriously affected by cuts to funding from the Scottish Government.
A Scottish Mail on Sunday audit of council budgets for the year ahead found moneymaking schemes will hit car owners.
East Ayrshire Council is considering Saturday off-street parking charges, while it also hopes to extend on-street parking restrictions by an hour until 6pm. In Glasgow, the planned introduction of car parking charges at some sports centres at certain times will have a ‘potential impact for those experiencing poverty’, while more restricted parking zones could generate more than £1.5 million.
Meanwhile, Orkney Council hopes to raise car park charges by 40 per cent in some areas to generate £51,200, while Western Isles Council will reduce its road maintenance budget by 25 per cent as part of efforts to save £400,000.
Last night, Scottish Tory transport spokesman Dean Lockhart said: ‘It’s clear that councils have little alternative than to raid motorists’ pockets after the dreadful funding settlement from the SNP. It is grossly unfair that motorists are again paying for the SNP’s failures to fund local government, fix the roads, or implement a sustainable transport network.’
In 2017, the Scottish Government scrapped a freeze on council tax rates and capped rises at a maximum of 3 per cent, then changed this to a maximum of 3 per cent plus inflation.
That same year, Ministers introduced reforms that added £106-£517 to the annual bills of those in band E-H properties. This year, 20 of the country’s 32 councils will impose the maximum council tax rise of 4.84 per cent, another eight will increase bills by between 3.95 per cent and 4.8 per cent, and four will add 3 per cent.
Midlothian Council will be the most expensive, with a Band D homeowner paying £1,409 and those in Band H handing over £3,452.05.
The cheapest council tax in Scotland is in the Western Isles, where Band D is £1,193.49 and Band H is £2,924.05.
Alison Evison, president of council umbrella group Cosla, said: ‘Councils across Scotland still face significant budget pressures because of inflation and demand which the Scottish Government Budget doesn’t recognise.’
The Scottish Government said: ‘Despite a real terms cut of £840 million by the UK Government to Scotland’s discretionary resource budget since 2010-11, we have ensured local government receives a fair funding settlement. Authorities will receive total funding of £11.4 billion in 2020-21.’