Petition set up over ‘desperate money grab’ bid for parking permit charge hike
Public outcry in Gloucester over plans to hike residents’ parking permits by almost 26 per cent is being backed by residents in Cheltenham as dozens sign petition against council’s “desperate money grab”.
City Councillors slammed Gloucestershire County Council’s proposals last week which seek to raise £338,000 extra a year by charging residents more in residential parking permits and on-street parking fees.
Their budget proposals, which were scrutinised at the corporate overview and scrutiny committee on January 7, suggest increasing a households’ first parking permit from £63.60 currently to £80 from April – an increase of 25.8 per cent.
The cost for a second parking permit would also be hiked to £160 from £127.35 currently. Council chiefs also say on-street parking charges would also be hiked at above inflation rates.
The justification for the rise being put forward by the Liberal Democrat administration at Shire Hall was labelled “bull****” by fellow Lib Dem Councillor Jeremy Hilton (Kingsholm and Wotton) during the meeting at Shire Hall.
And now Ian Weaving, a Cheltenham resident, says “enough is enough” and has set up an online petition against the proposed increases which has been so far been signed by 25 residents.
“This latest proposal by Gloucestershire County Council to increase parking permit charges is nothing more than a desperate money grab, and Councillor Jeremy Hilton was right to call it out,” he said.
“Residents are being asked to pay more, yet the council’s recent track record on parking schemes raises serious questions about competence and value for money.
“Over £900,000 was wasted on the botched Zone 15 parking scheme, originally proposed by Councillor Hay.
“A further £156,000 was spent on a proposed Stroud residents’ parking scheme that was ultimately rejected by residents themselves.
“Despite these failures, the council is now claiming it needs to raise permit prices to cover costs.
“But the figures tell a different story. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Gloucestershire County Council received £1,129,305.93 from parking permits, in addition to income from parking fines. Surely that should be more than enough.”
Mr Weaving said the council’s own criteria for residential parking schemes states the administration and enforcement of the scheme must be able to operate with no financial burden on the council.
“The council has also consistently said that any surplus generated in Cheltenham and across Gloucestershire is reinvested into highways,” he said.
“If that is the case, residents deserve to see the figures in full. Transparency is not optional — it is essential.
“What makes this proposal even harder to accept are the scale of the increases being suggested.
“Business permits would rise from £339.90 to £400, with a staggering £500 charge for a second permit. Carer permits, currently free, would be increased to £30.
“For residents, the first permit would rise from £65.50 to £80, while a second permit would jump from £131.15 to £160. These are not modest increases; they are significant financial burdens, particularly at a time when households are already under pressure.
“When compared with neighbouring counties, the disparity is stark.
“In Worcestershire, residents pay £30 for a first permit, £40 for a second, and £60 for a third. In Wiltshire, a first permit costs £35 and a second £75. Gloucestershire’s proposed charges are simply out of step.”
Finance, assets and transformation cabinet member Colin Hay (All Saints and Oakley) defended the proposed increases and said the Lib Dems are putting forward a budget they are proud of.
He said they will invest “millions into roads, schools, adult social care, recycling centres, nature recovery and our fire and rescue service”.
“In order to deliver our ambitions, we have had to go through our budget with a fine-tooth comb to produce the monetary headroom we need,” he said.
“This included an independent organisation to carry out a comprehensive review of our fees and charges.
“They highlighted resident permits which had been frozen for the last 13 years. Instead of being cost neutral, they now show a deficit of -£209,719.00 in 25/26 rising to -£292,516 in 26/27.
“It found that the cost of running and enforcing permit schemes is no longer covered by the amount residents currently pay. We simply cannot afford for this situation to continue.
“This means we have had to propose a substantial increase in the cost of permits to reduce the deficit. Currently, the annual permits are paid as a single payment, currently £63.60 for the first permit and £127.35 for the second.
“Many people, especially those on low incomes, find this difficult. In order to make it easier to pay, to spread the load, we will introduce the ability to pay monthly.
“So from April a first permit will cost £6.67p per month – a rise of £1.37 per month – and the second permit will cost £13.33 per month – a rise of £2.72 per month.
“By law, every pound raised from on‑street parking is ring‑fenced for parking services, fixing roads and supporting local transport. We are working hard to make every pound go further.”