Permit parking changes could see many motor traders grind to a standstill as an increasing number of councils switch over to digital payments and thus close a loophole which served high street businesses so well for decades.
Under the old regime, informal arrangements with local councils meant traders could apply for paper parking permits for use to park customers and employees vehicles. But the new digital format, which is replacing the old system nationwide, means many businesses are now barred from obtaining business permits of any sort, resulting costs soaring dramatically as a consequence.
VAG specialist T&H Motor Services claims it’s estimated to hit his business to the tune of almost £200 a day due to the added parking changes.
Previously T&H held six old-style paper permits costing £25 each which are simply moved from vehicle-to vehicle as and when necessary.
But with this arrangement removed he says costs will soar – incredibly by an estimated 35,000% based on parking charges at £15 per day for each vehicle which with MOT waiting can easily amount to up 100 vehicles per week.
“We’re being squeezed” proprietor Paul Horn told CAT who being a member of the RMI has the assistance of its legal team.
In a letter dated last January, Warwickshire Council told T&H that the authority could back track and re-introduce business permits although this will mean a charge in the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and stresses “would not be something that would be implemented for some time”.
However Paul Horn says the councils are contradicting each over as Coventry Council, which runs the same digital system, granted 10 permits to similar business which are also MOT test stations.
“A business permit entitles the holder to park in any vacant business permit bay and, in certain pay & display car parks, within the controlled parking zone specified on the permit”, says one Essex council website although they aren’t valid for suspended bays or resident permit spots.
Yet it quickly contradicts itself: “Business permits are also not valid for parking in suspended bays or for parking in resident permit bays, pay & display bays, yellow lines, off street housing estates and car parks except where otherwise stated by signs at the locations”. Furthermore purchasing permits don not guarantee a space.
The switch to digital has been plagued by problems according to a Daily Mail story published late last year, even for local private residents with one local resident saying, ‘We had the trial here… It’s been an absolute failure for me – a disaster.
‘I had to work hard – including communication via councillors – to get an exception to keep my paper permit due to family circumstances and I wish Reading Borough Council would spend more money on more important issues and invest in better projects.’
However the council hit back saying, “As with any new system, there have been a small number of issues which have been raised and we are actively working with our supplier to resolve these and make improvements.” Nevertheless, social media is packed with similar complaints across the country as the shift to virtual permits spreads and the threat of losing business parking looms.
Contrary to what you might have expected but parking isn’t a Highways matter but is controlled by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government who told CAT that any parking issues is solely governed by local councils.
Currently T&H, along with other general businesses, are fighting the changes but will the disproportionate increase in parking charges force the company to take the logical step and move out to a more appropriate site with off-street parking? But, speak on behalf of many small business Horn is defiant. “ I don’t want to do that – we’ve been here for some 40 years, always busy and have a loyal customer base”.
The new “system” probably isn’t geared to revolving permits. Council mentality “its obviously not ideal, but how many people is it going to affect? Can we really be bothered to pay for an upgrade?”