The long-rumbling saga of whether free parking would end in the East Riding has been put to an end as councillors backed a new report. Meeting in Beverley, councillors voted in favour of removing an existing council recommendation to implement parking charges in areas where parking is currently free.
A report from the Car Parking Review Panel went before councillors at East Riding Council’s September full council meeting. The report sought to act as “a much-needed update” on the 2010 Review Panel which recommended the ending of free-parking.
The 2010 Car Parking Review Panel recommended: “That the implementation of charges in the new areas (i.e. where charges do not currently exist) be deferred for two years due to the recession and only be introduced following two quarters of successive growth at a national level.” Following a series of meeting between October 2023 and June 2024, the Review Panel convened to examine how the 2010 recommendations could be updated to fit the present day.
Following the meetings the panel brought a report to full council in September 2024. The report made a total of 16 recommendations to the council regarding the management of car parks in the region.
By far the most significant, and the most controversial of the 2024 recommendations was Recommendation 1 which suggested the council should introduce parking charges in towns currently not subject to fees while keeping a 30-minute free period. After much debate, 12 months ago, councillors decided to pass motion to refer the findings back to the committee stage for further consideration.
The topic of parking charges returned to the council chamber last week in the form of an updated report recommending “that the Council remove the current delegation to introduce new car park charging, in areas not currently subject to fees, and that the decision to introduce any new fees only be made by Elected Members.” The Chair of the Review Panel, Cllr Sean McMaster, who described the process of making the report as “an arduous journey” said: “The Panel have made sure that the power now rests in the hands of members [of the council] to decide the future implementation of charges across the county.”
Cllr Richard Meredith explained that “there is no stronger protection” to preventing new parking charges than having the power resting with councillors themselves. He explained this theory by saying: “I don’t think any of us are daft enough to be turkeys voting for Christmas.”
After much debate, councillors backed the report by 33 votes to 10. One of the councillors who voted against the report was Cllr David Jeffreys who reminded the chamber that the report will not alter the fact that some council car parks will retain charges whilst others remain free. He claimed this is “not fair.”
In a similar vain, Cllr Barbara Jefferson voted against the report citing existing parking charges and an alleged lack of fairness. Cllr Meredith explained that voting the report down would not solve such grievances.
Reacting to the council’s decision, the MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, Emma Hardy posted on Facebook: “Victory for East Riding residents and businesses! East Riding Council has listened to us and has voted against introducing car parking charges at council car parks. I’m proud to have supported local people in this campaign.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
