South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has called upon Chichester District Council to scrap proposals to hike car parking charges in Petworth and Midhurst, imposing new ‘stealth charges’ on motorists whilst claiming to care about the cost of living and the viability of our local rural High Streets.
The Liberal Democrat dominated council want to push through changes which will be greater than the current rate of inflation and to increase the days of the week when shoppers and town centre users have to pay compared with currently.
While the council say they have a duty to increase pay and display tariffs by the current rate of inflation, their schedule of proposed tariffs indicates increases of approaching 10% on most fees whilst inflation has fallen to 4.7% and is expected to decrease even further before April 2024 when the hiked-up car parking charges come into force.
The inflation-busting increase in charges is just the start of the attack on motorists. The plans also see the first-time imposition of charges for Sunday parking at rural car parks including those in both Petworth and Midhurst in what the MP has dubbed a ‘tax on prayer’.
Andrew Griffith said:
“These are the wrong measures at the wrong time.”
Our hard-pressed high street shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants have enough to contend with without this war on motorists clobbering their trade. Midhurst and Petworth are just recovering from the impact of the fire at Midhurst’s Angel Inn earlier this year.
“With the closure of parish churches, many rural dwellers drive into town to attend Sunday church services and this means they could face a huge fine if they happen to park longer than 60 minutes. It also means that visitors to the South Downs on a Sunday who may previously have stopped to browse and buy in our charming high streets may simply drive on through.
In his letter to Councillor Moss, the MP noted that the local council’s actions were at odds with measures to support high streets and small businesses in the recent Autumn Statement which included freezing business rates for small businesses, extending rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, freezing alcohol duty until August 2024 and scrapping Class 2 National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.
Appendix 1: Text of the MP’s letter to Council Leader, Cllr Adrian Moss
“Dear Cllr Moss,
On behalf of many local residents, I write to raise my concerns over the plans by you and your colleague, Cllr Desai, to increase parking charges in Midhurst and Petworth by almost 10% - double the current rate of inflation - and the first-time imposition of charges for Sunday parking at rural car parks such as Petworth and Midhurst.
Your proposed changes will damage local shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Petworth and Midhurst, harming the local economy at a time when traders are just starting to get over the impact of the fire in the Angel Inn in March of this year. Visitors to the South Downs on a Sunday who would previously have stopped to browse and buy in our charming high streets may simply drive on through rather than fumble with change or cards at a parking machine.
The changes also amount to a ‘tax on prayer’. With fewer Sunday services in village churches these days, many rural dwellers drive into town to attend Christian Sunday services. This means they could face a huge parking fine if they happen to stay longer than 60 minutes.
I am not aware of any impact assessment by CDC having been conducted but if you have, please publish it. If the incremental revenue from your proposals is required to balance the Council’s budget, I propose that rather than hike charges on rural motorists who generally have no choice but to use their vehicle, you freeze or cut the allowances for Councillors which for the leading councillor alone now amount to £20,700 a year.
Finally, I would like to note my concerns surrounding the lack of public consultation on these changes, with only the lowest level of publicity to the consultation being given and no ability (to date) for the public to respond online via the Chichester District Council website.
I conclude by noting just how different in direction your proposals are versus the help provided for our high streets and small businesses in the Government’s recent Autumn Statement:
- Freezing the business rates multiplier for small businesses for a fourth consecutive year, saving an average shop £1,650;
- Extending the Retail, Hospital and Leisure (RHL) relief meaning 230,000 properties will benefit from almost £2.4 billion in support, protecting small businesses in our high streets and town centres;
- Scrapping Class 2 National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed and cutting the rate of Class 4 contributions from 9% to 8%;
- Freezing alcohol duty until August 2024, alleviating pressure on the hospitality sector.
I note that the changes are, as of today, proposals. I urge you to listen to my representations and see fit NOT to proceed with these wrong changes at the wrong time.”
