Increases to parking fees across north Norfolk have been branded a 'stealth tax' PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Hikes to car parking fees in Cromer, Sheringham, Wells, Holt, North Walsham and Fakenham branded a ‘stealth tax’

Lucy Clapham Monday, February 20, 2012
3:58 PM

A hike in car parking fees across north Norfolk has been branded a “stealth tax” by campaigners who have revealed spaces throughout the district net more than £1.1m.

Parking fees across north Norfolk are set to go up in April PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Opponents are now pushing for town hall chiefs to change their mind about bringing in the charges, which they say will be damaging for the local economy.

Figures show in 2010/11 car parks brought in a whopping £1.4m but cost North Norfolk District Council just £277,180 to maintain.

The council has said by increasing charges at car parks in Holt, Sheringham, Cromer and Wells, scrapping free spaces in North Walsham and Fakenham and introducing a £1 evening fee it has managed to avoid a council tax increase, as it has to find £1m of savings.

But campaigners to the controversial parking plans - including the North Norfolk Labour Party - have hit out at the hikes, due to come into force in April.

Tim Bartlett, chair of the opposition party, said: “The Conservatives have made a big deal about freezing council tax, but are basically asking those who need to park closer to shops, typically the elderly and less mobile, to subsidise the council budget.

“These parking charges are a stealth tax, they are regressive and they are bad for local trade.”

Labour members believe free spaces can be maintained and evening fees avoided if costs are passed onto tourists by increasing fees in summer and reducing them in winter.

And they said the figures they revealed through the Freedom of Information Act back up their proposals.

The numbers showed Runton Road car park in Cromer took more than £52,000 in August 2010 but only £1,459 in November of the same year, and in the same months Sheringham’s station car park made £47,706 and £7,836 respectively.

The group is now writing to every member of the council asking them to support its seasonal scheme ahead of Wednesday’s full meeting when 2012/13s budget is set to be passed.

Sam Rushworth, from the party, added: “The figures we obtained reveal just how quiet our town centres get in the winter months. Even in towns less associated with tourism we see huge dip in winter visitors.

“Increased winter parking charges will not significantly increase council revenue but they will deter people from coming into our towns to shop.”

The council’s Liberal Democrat members have also hit out at the parking charges and said they will not support them by proposing they be removed from the budget.

But cabinet member Trevor Ivory said the issue could not be “re-visited” as the increases were approved in December when members discussed the council’s savings package, which included the car parking hike.

He pointed out that Lib Dem councillors had abstained from the vote in December and added: “Putting up parking charges is not something we as a Conservative council wanted to do, but we had to strike a balance between delivering investment and making sure we didn’t put up council tax.”

A protest against the charges is planned to take place at the council offices before Wednesday’s meeting begins at 6pm.

30 comments

I readily accept that car parking charges are and have always been used by the council to prop up its finances. However, to increase charges in those towns which are supposedly more affluent to compensate for other areas which are not is a form of financial discrimination which may well have unforeseen ramifications. The rationale for suggesting that areas which are not frequented by tourists should be exempt because it puts further strain on their communities is unfounded and unsubstantiated. 'If' these charges drive away or damage tourism then it will be correct to say that NNDC has really killed the goose which lays the golden egg!

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Douglas McCoy

Friday, February 24, 2012
But if there are no charges, local people, whether they use the car parks or not, end up paying for them on their council tax. I should be pretty fed up to be paying for holiday makers to park for free if I could walk to the shops. The point about residential streets being used is valid-the grocks will park outside your hoouse if they have to pay for a car park. In GY a permit scheme was introduced but I have an idea it is not satisfactory for residents-the holiday maker is god in GY and it is well known they are incapable of walking more than a few yards. In GY centre the charges are 70p an hour. The town is dead, but it would have been dead anyway,at least those who pay council tax are not paying even more to prop up the tourist industry. And I don't know which car park in Sea palling made so little-the fees to park on the grass field are high and it is well used. Maybe the machine broke and no one noticed.

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Daisy Roots

Friday, February 24, 2012
Lots of Party Politics and little good grammar. Makes me ashamed of being from these parts. A town is as dead as the people that live in it. Cromation.

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Mad Brewer

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Cromer is absolutely dead these days anyway, there are no shops to visit and nothing really to bring people into the town. There are less and less people visiting each year so I don't think it would make much difference if the car park in Cromer was free or £10ph!

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Miss

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
brilliant cromer will become more of a ghost town now they are driving the motorist outand as a resident wont be able to to park on my street cos any touristsshoppers will be bloody parking there for FREE so i will end up having to pay to park in the overpriced car park and i pay council tax locally .The councils and government just see motorists as cash cows ,easy touch eh!

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gramjan

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
It won't increase revenue, just force more parking in residential areas. I suppose the season ticket will go up, hitting the elderly and disabled. It's very odd that at national levels the Conservatives argue the case for diminishing returns on ever increasing taxes, but locally follow this policy.

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weaversway

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
It won't increase revenue, just force more parking in residential areas. I suppose the season ticket will go up, hitting the elderly and disabled. It's very odd that at national levels the Conservatives argue the case for diminishing returns on ever increasing taxes, but locally follow this policy.

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weaversway

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
I guess you're not that local then Callum Ringer. Of the towns named it's only North Walsham that I'm not familiar with. All of the others have parking that's free and in most cases closer to where I want to get than the charging car parks. You just need to know where :)

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AE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Indeed, Ian, some car parks such as one in Sea Palling only brought in £29 in some months last year. I do wonder in some places whether it's worth all the administration costs?

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Jono

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The £1 evening charge. Is the council going to employ "officials" to police this, and at what cost. If they are not then no-one will pay. Either way its doomed to fail, but, then again, it is a council plan......................................

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Windless

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
AE yes the free spaces, with their accompanying 2 mile walk into the town centre. . . .

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Callum Ringer

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Smart locals know the free places to park in these towns :)

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AE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
. . But it is a Tax . .

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Callum Ringer

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
"stealth-tax"? It's not exactly stealthy.

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a_chilly_seal

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
An reduction in the number of evening buses, an increase in fare and the arrival of evening parking charges is likely to make people think again before venturing out on an evening.

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Callum Ringer

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Yet another reason not to shop in Fakenham. Its dying, it needs help not this. You can make more savings rather than do this.

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Johnny Norfolk

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Trevor Ivory misses the point again. It looks like the revenue of £100,000 that they need can be generated through this alternative plan. Sadly it looks like they haven't given it a thought and, like the government, they are stuck on a broken record about deficits instead.

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omnishambles

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
hugh you assume every person is able bodied. should the tory tax apply to parents with young children , the elderly , and the disabled ?

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Double Bill

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Probably raising funds to buy Holt's new mayor a very expensive limo to run about in, which will certainly be environmentally friendly if the rest of the countries mayoral cars are anything to go by. Same old story, hit the motorist, easy targets in rural areas. Terrific.

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Mr T

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Sam, Some might see this hike in parking fees, as being environmentaly friendly, it might encourage a number of the local able body people to walk into town, instead of driving, which would help to reduce pollution and encourage them to take some much needed exercise.

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Hugh

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Callum, I agree with you, we need to remember, that Parking here is still far cheaper than in many parts of the UK, so I don't think it will put the tourists off coming.

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Hugh

Monday, February 20, 2012
The new NNDC car parking policy stinks! Taxing those people who just happen to live, work and shop in successful tourist areas in favour of those who don't is counter productive. Why should demographics dictate parking charges? Isn't this contra to the normal Tory policy of rewarding success? The assumption that tourists will be happy to pay extra to park in coastal towns rather than towns further inland should pay more may be successful in the short term but is unlikely to benefit the Tory led council at the next election when the local electorate will voice their disapproval!

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Douglas McCoy

Monday, February 20, 2012
The new NNDC car parking policy stinks! Taxing those people who just happen to live, work and shop in successful tourist areas in favour of those who don't is counter productive. Why should demographics dictate parking charges? Isn't this contra to the normal Tory policy of rewarding success? The assumption that tourists will be happy to pay extra to park in coastal towns rather than towns further inland should pay more may be successful in the short term but is unlikely to benefit the Tory led council at the next election when the local electorate will voice their disapproval!

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Douglas McCoy

Monday, February 20, 2012
libdems abstaining theres a surprise !!

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Double Bill

Monday, February 20, 2012
John Warner, Whilst I agree, not all tourists are wealthy, NNDC has a duty to look after the interests of its tax payers first. I do not suspect that many on Holiday will be put off coming because of the car parking fee's, but rather because they cannot find anywhere to park

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Callum Ringer

Monday, February 20, 2012
We locals already pay enough in Council Tax and we support local businesses 52 weeks of the year. We shouldn't be paying more to park, the holidaymakers & weekenders should be paying more.

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samphirelover

Monday, February 20, 2012
@JohnWarner: The Tories plan to increase parking year round in tourist towns. Labour's position is that this is bad for winter trade so charges should only be increased in the summer months offset by winter reductions. The data obtained under Freedom of Information showed that this measure alone will raise the additional revenue the Tories are looking for to plug the hole in the budget. So Labour would make it cheaper to come into North Norfolk to shop in the winter.

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Sam Rushworth

Monday, February 20, 2012
It is nice of the Labour Party to be so welcoming to holidaymakers who are also feeling the pinch but still coming back to the area and boost the local economy. What a great PR coup "Hit the pesky holiday maker and day tripper" Fantastic!! The area's attitude to disabled parking is already pretty harsh and this will make things worse.

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John Warner

Monday, February 20, 2012
i won't be going to North Norfolk then. The utter cheek.

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bookworm

Monday, February 20, 2012
The numbers showed Runton Road car park in Cromer took more than £52,000 in August 2010 but only £1,459 in November of the same year, and in the same months Sheringham’s station car park made £47,706 and £7,8366 respectively There is a big difference in holiday makers and day trippers between August and November. Maybe they don't realise this fact, Ha Ha.

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Christopher Neave

Monday, February 20, 2012

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