Rethink free parking plan, urges Brighton and Hove campaign group

Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth has called for a rethink on plans to offer free parking in the run up to Christmas.

The campaign group has written to the three members of Brighton and Hove City Council who will make the final decision tomorrow (Tuesday 12 November).

Friends of the Earth said: “This could cost council taxpayers money they can ill afford, will bring about no lasting benefit, will penalise the nearly 40 per cent of households in the city without a car, will increase air pollution and congestion and could undermine public transport.

“It goes against the council’s policies on equality and will penalise the least well off in the city.

“If it is essential to provide incentives for people to do their Christmas shopping in Brighton and Hove, then politicians should focus on filling empty seats on public transport.

“This would bring more people into the city without creating greater congestion and pollution.

“However, the best use of taxpayers’ money would be to invest it in improving our main shopping areas.

“This would provide lasting economic benefits and represent far better value for money.”

Chris Todd, from Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth, said: “This costly proposal will grab the headlines but provide no lasting benefit.

“The money wasted on this giveaway could be better spent on improving our main shopping streets.

“Research shows that that improving public space delivers long-term economic benefits, significantly boosting footfall and trade.

“If car parking is really such a problem, why are we doing better than many other major shopping centres?

“Our shop vacancy rates are way below the national average which would suggest we’ve got things about right.

“If councillors want to bring more people into the city, why are they not filling empty seats on the buses and trains?

“This would deliver more people into our shops without the added congestion and pollution.”

The council’s Policy and Resources Urgency Sub-Committee is expected to reach a decision at Hove Town Hall tomorrow afternoon.

The Conservatives have called for five car parks to be free on Small Business Saturday on 7 December and on the three Sundays before Christmas – 8, 15 and 22 December.

The car parks are in London Road, Regency Square, Trafalgar Street and High Street, off St James’s Street, in Brighton, and in Norton Road, Hove.

The Greens have responded with their own proposals. These include reduced prices in the London Road and Regency Square car parks in Brighton and free parking in Norton Road, Hove, in the run up to Christmas.

They also propose permanently cutting the price of parking in London Road on Sundays.

The Conservative proposal was passed by the full council last month with the support of Labour.

Together the two parties outnumber the ruling Greens as they also do on the sub-committee.