Brighton reverses parking increases in war on cars that have driven away visitors

Brighton is reversing a crackdown on drivers that has driven visitors away from the seaside resort.

The Labour-run East Sussex council is cutting parking fees, which rose to as much as £33.50 a day under the previous Green government.

The Greens had claimed that high prices would help create a “car-free” city that would be more attractive to visitors.

But Brighton and Hove City Council has now admitted the charges were so high that they were damaging the local tourism industry by putting off day-trippers.

Cllr Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, said parking fees had “increased to the point where they are becoming more of a deterrent than an incentive for some visitors”.

He added: “We have more than 200 different permit tariffs and the demand for parking has spread from the city center to the outskirts of the city. “We need to change.”

A review carried out by the council this month found it was expected to lose out on £1.16m in parking revenue by April 2025 due to high charges.

“Anti-car reputation”

Cllr Alistair McNair, leader of the opposition Conservative group on the council, told The Telegraph: “Parking revenues have fallen and the council has a reputation for being anti-car.”

“We hope that residence permit holders will also receive a reduction in their fees and that this city will become car-friendly, which also means family and disabled-friendly.”

But he warned: “While this reduction in parking fees is welcome, it is a gamble as revenue could fall even further because the city’s reputation has been damaged for years.”

Brighton is one of several British cities that have tried to reduce incentives for driving in recent years by charging residents for parking permits on top of council taxes and increasing fees for on-street parking.

But the council’s Labor leadership, which took power in May last year, is moving away from the approach taken by a minority Green government between July 2020 and May 2023.

Cllr Samar Bagaeen, an independent opposition councillor, welcomed the council’s “u-turn”.

“The council’s parking approach has been both flawed and counterproductive for several years, damaging the city’s night-time economy,” he said.

“Prices have risen exponentially in all car parks over the last decade, meaning even parking for an hour represents very poor value for money.

Steady decline since 2021

Brighton and Hove City Council said the use of council car parks has fallen steadily since 2021 and average hourly charges are higher than most other cities.

Last year it was estimated that higher charges had reduced the council’s parking revenue by up to £1.2 million.

The council has now announced that rates will be reduced at its car parks in The Lanes, Regency Square, London Road, Trafalgar Street and Norton Road.

Hourly and evening rates will also be reduced to support the night-time economy and encourage people to use underutilized parking spaces.

“Brighton and Hove has a busy night-time economy and it’s important we do everything we can to increase footfall and help these local businesses thrive,” Cllr Muten said.

Other cities have introduced higher parking fees to reduce car use.

In the London borough of Southwark, the Labor council increased permit costs by up to 368 percent to force a “reduction in vehicles.”

Lambeth Labor council has vowed to make the borough “diesel free” and in May last year increased one-year permits for diesel engines to up to £140, a price increase of £42 compared to 2022.