ONE of the country's biggest pensioner
groups has backed a Daily
Echo campaign demanding council
leaders in Southampton rip up a
policy to charge residents to park
outside their homes.
Age Concern warns pensioners on low
incomes would be one of the hardest hit by the
controversial plan and may force some to give up
their cars.
Labour and Lib Dem councillors agreed the
parking policy to charge for all residents' permits
without even guaranteeing a space - the
first permit is currently free.
It sparked fury from residents and led to our
Parking Mad campaign demanding a U-turn.
Labour council leader June Bridle was
accused of trying to fool voters when she
pledged not to bring in new charges for at least
12 months - after May local elections.
Yet she refused to scrap the policy and said she
would look at other ways to make the residents'
parking scheme "self-funding" such as charging
more for a second permit.
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Council parking chiefs reckon they need to
raise an additional £342,000 to make the scheme
pay for itself.
But Age Concern Hampshire director Chris
Perry slammed the scheme as "short sighted"
and called on city pensioners to put pressure on
their ward councillors.
He said: "It's just a surcharge on council tax.
"Having something like this hanging over you
only increases anxiety and stress levels. It is not
going to do people on low incomes much good.
"Elderly people are continually having to pay
more and more out of less."
Mr Perry said: "Some people may have to give
up their cars and that will only lead to social isolation.
It is a short sighted thing to do.
"I think elderly people ought to be telling their
councillors and the more pressure they can put
on them the better."
The policy comes as Labour and Lib Dem councillors
rejected a ten per cent council tax discount
for over 65 households and agreed an inflation-
busting council tax rise of 3.5 per cent.
Tory parking spokesman Gavin Dick has called
for the charging policy, part of a wider parking
strategy agreed last month, to be scrapped.
Posted by: young turk, southampton on 11:09am Wed 2 Apr 08
I may not be a pensioner but on this occasion I am in agreement with their fight but it would be great if they fought for everyone, because a lot of pensioners have more money and time than the younger generation funding their livelihoods.
No one should have topay topark outside their home and as a city centre resident it holds no appeal.
I may not be a pensioner but on this occasion I am in agreement with their fight but it would be great if they fought for everyone, because a lot of pensioners have more money and time than the younger generation funding their livelihoods.
No one should have topay topark outside their home and as a city centre resident it holds no appeal.
[quote][bold]hmm[/bold] wrote:
Another story on the same story :([/quote] Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it?
You could see what it was when you clicked on it!
hmm wrote:
Another story on the same story :(
Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it?
"Council parking chiefs reckon they need to raise an additional £342,000 to make the scheme pay for itself."
Obviously not working and losing council tax payers money, so the easier and cheapest option is to scrap the whole idea.
"Council parking chiefs reckon they need to raise an additional £342,000 to make the scheme pay for itself."
Obviously not working and losing council tax payers money, so the easier and cheapest option is to scrap the whole idea.
Posted by: Troll, Under the Itchen Bridge on 11:37am Wed 2 Apr 08
Pensions get free bus passes and can go anywhere in England now on them.
They ought to sell their cars to create some space for those who don't have this luxury. Those on low incomes wouldn't have the expense of cars or fuel and would have more money to live off.
Pensions get free bus passes and can go anywhere in England now on them.
They ought to sell their cars to create some space for those who don't have this luxury. Those on low incomes wouldn't have the expense of cars or fuel and would have more money to live off.
[quote][bold]Numpty Basher[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]hmm[/bold] wrote:
Another story on the same story :([/quote] Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it?
You could see what it was when you clicked on it![/quote] We have just had story after story on the same issue
Numpty Basher wrote:
hmm wrote:
Another story on the same story :(
Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it?
You could see what it was when you clicked on it!
We have just had story after story on the same issue
[quote][bold]hmm[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Numpty Basher[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]hmm[/bold] wrote: Another story on the same story :([/quote] Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it? You could see what it was when you clicked on it![/quote] We have just had story after story on the same issue [/quote] What do you expect?
It's their campaign!
hmm wrote:
Numpty Basher wrote:
hmm wrote: Another story on the same story :(
Do you expect them to do one story on their campaign and then leave it? You could see what it was when you clicked on it!
We have just had story after story on the same issue
Posted by: I know the truth, Southampton on 12:53pm Wed 2 Apr 08
The Tories lie through their teeth on this
"Tory parking spokesman Gavin Dick has called for the charging policy, part of a wider parking strategy agreed last month, to be scrapped."
But he was in charge when the report was drawn up, intial approved (I would guess) with officers and even through the intial scruitny process - and I guess the fact that he didnt wimper but does now then must mean there is an election - shocking that isnt it
IKTT
The Tories lie through their teeth on this
"Tory parking spokesman Gavin Dick has called for the charging policy, part of a wider parking strategy agreed last month, to be scrapped."
But he was in charge when the report was drawn up, intial approved (I would guess) with officers and even through the intial scruitny process - and I guess the fact that he didnt wimper but does now then must mean there is an election - shocking that isnt it
Posted by: a resident, southampton on 1:11pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Whilst I sympathise with pensioners who are in poverty, many are not. In fact this policy would only affect those pensioners who own and run a car not those that are too poor to own a car... and I expect that there may well be concessions for those who hold a blue badge.
It is understandable that the parking scheme needs to be self-financing - otherwise the cost of providing parking to the residents in the scheme will fall to the council taxpayers -which will include pensioners, whether or not they own a car.
The Council has introduced a concessionary fares scheme, which would help pensioners to travel without cars - this is quite a bonus for them and I am sure will give many much greater freedom.
Finally, introducing a charge for the first parking permit will free up spaces on-street. This is because while the permit is free there is no incentive for people to park on their driveways or clear out their garages of all the stuff that people keep in them. Therefore the introduction of a small charge would help to provide space, even if this can't be guaranteed, which would be of benefit to all the permit holders, including the pensionners.
I expect that spaces can't be guaranteed as the Council would be unable to guarantee that people don't break the rules and park in residents bays illegally. I would expect the Council to manage the number of permits in circulation in an attempt to regulate the numbers of cars match the number of parking spaces available.
Whilst I sympathise with pensioners who are in poverty, many are not. In fact this policy would only affect those pensioners who own and run a car not those that are too poor to own a car... and I expect that there may well be concessions for those who hold a blue badge.
It is understandable that the parking scheme needs to be self-financing - otherwise the cost of providing parking to the residents in the scheme will fall to the council taxpayers -which will include pensioners, whether or not they own a car.
The Council has introduced a concessionary fares scheme, which would help pensioners to travel without cars - this is quite a bonus for them and I am sure will give many much greater freedom.
Finally, introducing a charge for the first parking permit will free up spaces on-street. This is because while the permit is free there is no incentive for people to park on their driveways or clear out their garages of all the stuff that people keep in them. Therefore the introduction of a small charge would help to provide space, even if this can't be guaranteed, which would be of benefit to all the permit holders, including the pensionners.
I expect that spaces can't be guaranteed as the Council would be unable to guarantee that people don't break the rules and park in residents bays illegally. I would expect the Council to manage the number of permits in circulation in an attempt to regulate the numbers of cars match the number of parking spaces available.
Posted by: Keith Oftergrass on 3:27pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Oh what a surprise, pensioners will sign up for antything provided that it's free !!!
If a scheme that is not inclusive to all is not self-funding then additional costs must be applied - is this not simple enough ??
Oh what a surprise, pensioners will sign up for antything provided that it's free !!!
If a scheme that is not inclusive to all is not self-funding then additional costs must be applied - is this not simple enough ??
Posted by: Keith Oftergrass on 6:05pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Over the past 10 years the Council Planners have changed the rules on off-road parking from a minimum of 1.5 car spaces per dwelling to a [bold]maximum[/bold]of 0.5 cars per dwelling (I have seen plannign permission turned down where someone has tried to leave more spaces !!).
The supposed rationale behind this has been to discourage people from owning cars and thus promoting the use of public transport (even though they do little to support it).
Anyone who spends hundreds of thousands on a flat/house etc. are likely to own a car and therefore they end up having to park inthe road if they don not get one of the limited off-road spaces available.
Either the Planners are complete idiots (and there's a lot of evidence to support this) or complete geniuses - now these people will have to pay to park because the council wouldn't allow enough off road parking. Absolute masterstroke....
Over the past 10 years the Council Planners have changed the rules on off-road parking from a minimum of 1.5 car spaces per dwelling to a maximumof 0.5 cars per dwelling (I have seen plannign permission turned down where someone has tried to leave more spaces !!).
The supposed rationale behind this has been to discourage people from owning cars and thus promoting the use of public transport (even though they do little to support it).
Anyone who spends hundreds of thousands on a flat/house etc. are likely to own a car and therefore they end up having to park inthe road if they don not get one of the limited off-road spaces available.
Either the Planners are complete idiots (and there's a lot of evidence to support this) or complete geniuses - now these people will have to pay to park because the council wouldn't allow enough off road parking. Absolute masterstroke....
I had to park outside the Southampton General Hospital today. I am appalled to find the car parking on the road at the back and front of the hospital so expensive, more expensive per hour than in town.Is this another case of council greed penalising people visiting or attending the hospital as a patient. I suppose they have a captured market, because they know that people need to park to attend the hosptial so they will pay whatever it costs to enable them to do this. But it isn't right and the council cannot justify the charges.It is bad enough that Southampton University Hospital charges are the highest in the country without the council jumping on the band wagon. The parking charges should be reduced - stop taxing people who are ill or visiting those who are ill.
I had to park outside the Southampton General Hospital today. I am appalled to find the car parking on the road at the back and front of the hospital so expensive, more expensive per hour than in town.Is this another case of council greed penalising people visiting or attending the hospital as a patient. I suppose they have a captured market, because they know that people need to park to attend the hosptial so they will pay whatever it costs to enable them to do this. But it isn't right and the council cannot justify the charges.It is bad enough that Southampton University Hospital charges are the highest in the country without the council jumping on the band wagon. The parking charges should be reduced - stop taxing people who are ill or visiting those who are ill.
Surely it is now apparent that with all these pensioners using their subsidised bus passes and also having cars that are driven along by them usually around 30 miles per hour on a 60 mph road this contributes to congestion?
Perhaps the 'freedom to park outside your own home' people should amend the message to mean the freedom to park outside your own home when you get back from a hard days work only to find somebody parked outside your own house. Nothing better than having to lug a weeks worth of shopping halfway up the street in the rain!
Surely it is now apparent that with all these pensioners using their subsidised bus passes and also having cars that are driven along by them usually around 30 miles per hour on a 60 mph road this contributes to congestion?
Perhaps the 'freedom to park outside your own home' people should amend the message to mean the freedom to park outside your own home when you get back from a hard days work only to find somebody parked outside your own house. Nothing better than having to lug a weeks worth of shopping halfway up the street in the rain!
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