MP calls on council to scrap plan for parking charges hike
South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has called upon Chichester Districtcounciltoscrapproposals to hike car parking charges in Petworth and Midhurst, imposing new ‘stealth charges’ on motoristswhilstclaimingtocare aboutthecostoflivingandtheviability of rural High Streets.
The Liberal Democrat dominated council want to push through changes which will be greater than the current rate of inflationandtoincreasethedays of the week when shoppers and town centre users have to pay. While the council say they have adutytoincreasepayanddisplay tariffs by the current rate of inflation, their schedule of proposedtariffsindicatesincreases ofapproaching10%onmostfees whilstinflationhasfallento4.7% andisexpectedtodecreaseeven further before April 2024 when the hiked-up car parking chargescomeintoforce.theplansalso see the first-time imposition of charges for Sunday parking at rural car parks in what the MP has dubbed a ‘tax on prayer’.
Andrewgriffithsaid:“these are the wrong measures at the wrong time. Our hard-pressed high street shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants have enough to contend with without this war on motorists clobbering their trade. Midhurst and Petworth are just recovering from the impact of the fire at Midhurst’s Angel Inn earlier this year. With the closure of parish churches, many rural dwellers drive into town to attend Sunday church services and this means they couldfaceahugefineiftheyhappen to park longer than 60 minutes. It also means that visitors to the South Downs on a Sunday who may previously have stopped to browse and buy in our charming high streets may simply drive on through.”
The MP has written to council leader Adrian Moss. His letter reads: “Dear Cllr Moss. On behalf of many local residents, I write to raise my concerns over the plans by you and your colleague, Cllr Desai, to increase parkingchargesinmidhurstand Petworth by almost 10% – double the current rate of inflation – and the first-time imposition of charges for Sunday parking at rural car parks such as Petworth and Midhurst. Your proposedchangeswilldamagelocal shops, pubs, cafés and restaurantsinpetworthandmidhurst, harming the local economy at a timewhentradersarejuststarting to get over the impact of the fire in the Angel Inn in March of this year. Visitors to the South Downs on a Sunday who would previously have stopped to browse and buy in our charminghighstreetsmaysimplydrive on through rather than fumble with change or cards at a parking machine. The changes also amounttoa‘taxonprayer’.with fewer Sunday services in village churches these days, many rural dwellers drive into town to
Browse our website to find your perfect holiday or call free on attend Christian Sunday services. This means they could face a huge parking fine if they happen to stay longer than 60 minutes. I am not aware of any impact assessment by CDC having been conducted but if you have, please publish it. If the incremental revenue from your proposals is required to balance the Council’s budget, I propose that rather than hike charges on rural motorists who generally have no choice but to use their vehicle, you freeze or cut the allowances for Councillors which for the leading councillor alone now amount to £20,700 a year.”