Agenda item

Parking Permit Charges

It was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, seconded by Councillor Anders Hanson, that this Council:-

(a)       recalls the campaign by the now Labour MP for Sheffield Central, Paul Blomfield, No Ifs, No Buts, No Profits. Lower the Permit Prices;

(b)       notes that as a result of this Administration’s budgets, parking permit charges have been hiked by 260%;

(c)        confirms that this hike will not only hit struggling families but also damage small businesses across Sheffield; and

(d)       believes it is wrong for the Administration to fleece local motorists to pay for their political pet projects and calls upon the Administration to reverse this year’s hike, with a view to returning to the lower price in future years.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       notes that the imposition of damaging cuts by the Coalition Government means that the budget position today is completely different from 2009/10, and therefore regrets that it is no longer sustainable to maintain parking zone permit prices at levels below those first set when parking permit zones were introduced;

(b)       notes that the previous Administration doubled on-street parking charges in permit parking zones in their 2010 budget;

(c)        further notes that the main opposition group also recently put forward a scheme that would have seen parking for small businesses given to residents during Streets Ahead works, with potentially devastating consequences for trade in local district centres, and recalls the total opposition to the plan by the Federation for Small Businesses;

(d)       recalls that the main opposition group opposed increases in resident permit charges last year, however notes they cynically abandoned this pledge in their budget proposal;

(e)       believes this demonstrates the total hypocrisy and short term view that the Liberal Democrats have demonstrated, not just locally but nationally, on issues such as tuition fees and the VAT tax bombshell; and

(f)        therefore believes it is clear the Liberal Democrats are more interested in their own party's short term interests than the long term welfare of Sheffield and cannot be trusted to take long term, responsible decisions.

On being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the imposition of damaging cuts by the Coalition Government means that the budget position today is completely different from 2009/10, and therefore regrets that it is no longer sustainable to maintain parking zone permit prices at levels below those first set when parking permit zones were introduced;

(b)       notes that the previous Administration doubled on-street parking charges in permit parking zones in their 2010 budget;

(c)        further notes that the main opposition group also recently put forward a scheme that would have seen parking for small businesses given to residents during Streets Ahead works, with potentially devastating consequences for trade in local district centres, and recalls the total opposition to the plan by the Federation for Small Businesses;

(d)       recalls that the main opposition group opposed increases in resident permit charges last year, however notes they cynically abandoned this pledge in their budget proposal;

(e)       believes this demonstrates the total hypocrisy and short term view that the Liberal Democrats have demonstrated, not just locally but nationally, on issues such as tuition fees and the VAT tax bombshell; and

(f)        therefore believes it is clear the Liberal Democrats are more interested in their own party's short term interests than the long term welfare of Sheffield and cannot be trusted to take long term, responsible decisions.

(Note: Councillors Robert Murphy and Jillian Creasy voted for paragraphs (b) and (d), against paragraphs (a) and (c) and abstained on paragraphs (e) and (f) and asked for this to be recorded.)