Drivers' rage as Sevenoaks council plans increased parking charges
A PLAN to increase parking charges has angered motorists in the town centre.
Sevenoaks District Council hopes to raise around £120,000 by raising charges next year.
Some short-stay charges could double and angry High Street staff say they will suffer most.
Hairdresser Harriet Franks, 18, from Matthew Cross on London Road, said: "It might just be 30p a day but I already pay £3.80 to park at Buckhurst. Most of my wages go on parking and if it goes up again I'd rather walk from Orpington than pay."
On Tuesday, Roger Walshe chaired a meeting of the environment select committee that suggests raising fees in Bligh's car park by seven per cent and elsewhere in Sevenoaks by six per cent.
Mr Walshe said: "Can a postman or a bank clerk afford £1,000 a year? Of course he can't."
Jan van der Velde, managing director of Kit for Kids on Bligh's Road, said: "Sevenoaks is an expensive place to live and work.
"Increasing charges in the town-centre car parks will undoubtedly affect our customers.
"What we need is a multistorey but I don't think that's going to happen."
Other unpopular ideas include introducing charges in Shoreham and Eynsford's free car parks.
Clive Stanyon, chairman of Eynsford Parish Council, said: "Our car park is primarily used by residents, and visitors going to the shops and the church. There are lots of houses here with no parking and once people hear they could have to pay, there'll be an almighty hullabaloo."
Shoreham Parish Council clerk Barbara Ide said: "People will just park in the main road instead, and we have enough blockages already.
"When they last reviewed parking charges Shoreham and Eynsford were excluded and I hope they'll do the same again."
The proposed annual changes for 2011 would come into force from January, rather than April as normal, when also VAT rises to 20 per cent.
Mr Walshe added: "The financial predicament of Sevenoaks Council is exaggerated and there's a feeling in the town that parking charges are getting out of hand.
"Sevenoaks bears the brunt compared with elsewhere and we'd like to see a fairer spread in the district."
Jon Scholey said: "If we want to sell more season tickets, perhaps reducing the cost of them would help?
"This is crazy economics."
Speaking for Eynsford and Shoreham, Hugh Darrington said: "I don't think it's worth upsetting two villages for such a small amount of money."
Elizabeth Purves wanted no increases at all, but Alison Cook said: "We've got to be realistic and I'd hate to have to find £100,000 more cuts."
Council leader Peter Fleming said the final decision rested with the Cabinet on September 30.
3 Comments
by alan bullion, West Kent
Sunday, September 05 2010, 7:28PM
“I see Conservative-run SDC is continuing to fleece the motorist. Never mind there is an election next May...”
by RanterA, Sevenoaks
Saturday, September 04 2010, 6:42PM
“SDC seems to think that everyone who lives within their area works for a merchant bank, is married to a merchant banker or has parents who are merchant bankers. The vast majority of us are ordinary people on ever shrinking ordinary wages and salaries who are faced with year on year increases in everything. For God's sake make some cuts elsewhere. Get back some of the rents and council tax you are owed - stop feeding of us all.”
by Man of Kent, Sevenoaks
Saturday, September 04 2010, 8:10AM
“What is the cost of painting, with a heavy mastic preparation, about 40 metres of double yellow lines on both sides of nearly every junction in Sevenoaks and district when it is abundantly apparent that few people take any notice of them and there is no chance whatsoever of enforcing them.
I would suggest that the cost of the materials, labour, time, etc is somewhat more than the £120k that the district council hopes to raise from increased parking charges.”