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<p>Higher parking charges and more parking fines were the explicit policy of the Labour
Government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Labour Ministers called for councils
to charge for more services, including parking, bemoaning that: ‘Only one in five
councils are using charging to the full potential... [such as for] reducing congestion’
(Speech to the Local Government Association, 2 July 2008).</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><ul><li>Planning guidance issued by the Labour Government in 2001 (PPG13) told
councils to hike parking charges and adopt aggressive enforcement to discourage drivers.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Labour Ministers asserted: ‘The local government sector
already has significant powers to raise revenue through fees and charges in return
for the provision of services, and many councils have used this mechanism extensively
to support local service delivery (for example through parking charges… The Government
supports councils in looking creatively at the scope offered by fees and charges’
(DCLG, <em>Government response to the CLG Select Committee report into the balance
of power: central and local government</em>, 18 September 2009).</li></ul><p> </p><p>Yet
unreasonable parking charges and fines push up hard-working people’s cost of living.
If parking is too expensive or difficult, shoppers will simply drive to out of town
supermarkets or just shop on-line, undermining the vitality of town centres and leading
to ‘ghost town’ high streets. This Government has rejected the Labour policy of encouraging
higher parking charges and aggressive parking enforcement, and has been standing up
for hard-working people and local shops.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2010, we have:</p><p>
</p><ul><li>Scrapped Labour’s Whitehall policy that pressured councils to hike car
parking charges as a ‘demand management measure’ to discourage car use.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Removed Whitehall restrictions which restricted the provision
of off-street parking spaces, and issued new national planning policy to discourage
unnecessary restrictions on parking spaces being provided in new developments.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Abolished Labour’s Whitehall policy which inhibited parking
charge competition between council areas, and instead introduced a new policy that
says parking charges should not undermine the vitality of town centres, and stated
that parking enforcement should be proportionate;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued
new planning practice guidance on removing street clutter and encouraging the provision
of shopper-friendly parking space provision.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced
the local retention of business rates, which means that councils benefit from business
and retail growth in town centres, rather than just hiking parking charges.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Increased parking transparency through the local government
Transparency Code so councils are required to publish how income from parking charges
is being used.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped the industrial use
of CCTV for parking enforcement: this will commence in April following the Deregulation
Bill receiving Royal Assent.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced a
mandatory 10 minute “grace period” at the end of on-street and off-street, free and
paid municipal parking.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced a new
right to allow local residents and local firms to demand a review of parking in their
area, including charges and the use of yellow lines.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><ul><li>Changed guidance so drivers parking at an out-of-order meter are not fined
if there are no alternative ways to pay.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Reformed
statutory parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with drivers, prevents over-aggressive
action by bailiffs, positively supports local shops and clearly reinforces the prohibition
against parking being used to generate profit.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Updated
guidance so the public know when they can be awarded costs at tribunals; strengthened
the power of adjudicators to overturn parking fines; frozen parking fines in this
Parliament; the Government will also be trialling a 25% discount for motorists who
lose an appeal against a parking ticket at tribunal on the full price of their parking
ticket</li></ul><p> </p><p>My Department has now taken on the policy responsibility
for off-street parking, both municipal and on private land. We will consult shortly
on areas where we can intervene to tackle unfair practices. We will also address the
issue of local authorities not offering any cash payment facilities in municipal parking.<br><br></p><p>
</p><p> </p>
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