Less than a month after he introduced overnight car parking charges across most of the borough in changes claimed “to make parking fairer, simpler, and more consistent”, Tory Mayor Jason Perry has been forced into making a hand-brake turn and drop some charges in seven car parks.
No alternative: parking meters have been switched off, and now the council has backed down over night-time charging
Residents’ associations in Coulsdon expressed outrage when the council sneaked out the night-time charges last month.
Only New Addington had escaped having night-time parking charges imposed under Mayor Perry’s latest money-making wheeze, as the council switched off all its parking meters and forced motorists to use the RingGo parking app.
There has been no formal announcement of the council’s abrupt U-turn over night-time charges (perhaps to avoid the obvious embarrassment caused), but on Friday, East Coulsdon Residents’ Association received an email from a Conservative councillor asking them to pass on the news of the change.
“This can only help the night-time economy and the people without parking places who need to park overnight,” according to one member of the residents’ association.
“Another small victory for us and common sense,” they said.
The switchover from parking meters to RingGo went ahead despite generally negative responses from residents in public consultations. Older motorists, and people who simply don’t want to be forced into being monitored by a third-party smartphone app, have had their serious reservations ignored by Perry (catchphrase: “I’m listening”) and his council.
Perry’s changes included a massive reduction in the discount for drivers of electric vehicles (reinforcing Perry’s well-deserved reputation as being pro-pollution), a borough-wide hike in the cost of parking, and charges for using council car parks overnight (generally from 6pm to 7am), which had previously always been free of charge.
‘More consistent’: it was less than a month ago that the council imposed the night-time parking charges
Friday’s email from Councillor Ian Parker announcing the swift reverse said: “I know this is something many were concerned about.
“I’m pleased to report we’ve listened to our residents and free overnight parking in seven car parks in our town and district centres has been introduced. This includes Lion Green Road.”
Although if Parker and Mayor Perry had “listened” in the first place, including over the course of public consultations earlier this year, the charges would never have been imposed in the first place.
Parker’s email listed the car parks which will return to free overnight parking as:
- Coulsdon Town
- Central Parade
- Sanderstead Road
- Lion Green Road
- Russell Hill Place
- Clifford Road
- Garnet Road
- Graville Gardens
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