Councillors updated on parking review progress

A raft of proposals that will reshape parking in Brighton & Hove in the short, medium and long term will be discussed by councillors next week.

Two parking related reports are being presented to members of the Transport and Sustainability committee when it meets on Tuesday 5 December, including one which will update progress on a wide-ranging review of parking in the city.

Our parking review aims to simplify and establish a fairer, more equitable parking citywide for both residents and visitors; signalling Brighton & Hove is open for business to enable the prosperity of our city.

Among the recommendations will be:

• Action already being undertaken will reduce parking rates in some council car parks during December and January,
• investigating a physical permit option for residents and visitors without or limited access to digital payments options.

It comes after Council Leader Bella Sankey announced in the summer that the council would look at parking with “a view to taking a long term, strategic approach to parking pricing in the city…”

Progress already being made

The Parking Review Update report tells councillors about the work that’s been done since the summer and outlines measures being taken to reduce the current parking income deficit in 2023/24. They include:

• reduced parking rates at London Road and Chapel Street car parks
• Improving signage and offering real time parking space information for off-street car parks,
• reviewing our parking schemes to identify more parking space availability,
• improving early intervention for debt collection and bailiff recovery and 
• a review of enforcement, working with our external contractor.

The report also proposes several measures for the 2024/25 financial year, including:

• Investigating a physical permit option for those with limited access to digital payment options,
• a restructure of Parking Services,
• a new anti-fraud strategy to tackle permit, blue badge and concessionary travel fraud, and
• reviews of parking permits (including pricing and criteria) to simplifying several outer parking zones.

In the longer term, proposals include:

• establish simpler citywide parking into central and outer parking zones,
• considering emissions-based charging for on-street and off-street paid parking,
• virtual visitor parking permits,
• a review of off-street car parks to ensure they’re protected and valuable council asset and
• the continued rollout of our electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Committee members will also be told that consultants have begun work on a full parking review to be carried out alongside these measures.

They’re due to report back with more detail to be presented to the committee in February 2024, decisions made by May 2024 with the proposed simplification implemented expected from early next summer.

Improving our customer experience

Councillors will also be presented with a report that will recommend several technical updates to council parking policies.

These updates would formalise measures we’re already taking to ensure a consistent service to our residents, businesses and visitors. They’d also formalise new policies for our barrier controlled car parks, parking bay suspensions and Penalty Charge Notice debt policies.

More information can be found in the report being presented to committee members.

Planning for the future

Councillor Trevor Muten, chair of the Transport and Sustainability committee said: “Simplified and equitable parking is essential for the prosperity of our city. An integrated parking approach with public transport provision helps the council provide thousands of concessionary bus passes, bus routes and other vital transport projects and services.

“I’m pleased that we’ll be discussing cheaper parking for Christmas shoppers and exploring options  for physical parking permits for those with limited access to smartphones and other digital technology.

“We must think long term to ensure the parking space we have is used efficiently, keeps our city moving but remains affordable for our residents, businesses and visitors.

“Developing our new parking strategy is also a high priority given that the money we receive from Government is being cut year on year. In these challenging economic times, the changes we’re already making, and the wider review will give us the resources and information we need to better plan for the future.”