On street parking and the cost of permits will both increase in Rye if proposals gain the go ahead from a senior county councillor next week. On Monday October 14 Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, is set to decide whether the authority should start consultation on raising the charges.
Under the proposals, the cost of a two-hour ticket for on street parking in Rye would increase from 90p to £1.35. There would also be a major overhaul of permit parking prices which ESCC says is “intended to incentivise sustainable forms of transport”.
In the report, a council spokesman said: “The consultation will look to better understand whether these proposed changes will encourage drivers to use sustainable forms of transport and / or to use vehicles that emit lower levels of pollutants. The feedback received through the consultation process will be presented alongside an Equalities Impact Assessment, to inform the lead member’s final decisions about the proposals.”
The potential increases come after a number of parking meters were removed from Rye, including Tower Street and Cinque Ports Street. ESCC say £30,000 will be saved as fewer motorists are paying at the machines, using apps instead.
The proposals include changes to the costs associated with residents’ parking permits, which allow for day time parking (mostly between 8am and 6pm) in the seven permit zones in the Rother District, two of which are in Rye. Currently, the council charges a flat rate for parking permits in Rother. It costs £10 for a three-month permit, £17 for a six-month permit and £27 for a 12-month permit.
The council is proposing to introduce a new scheme, which takes into account the C02 emissions of the vehicles tied to the permit. This new scheme could significantly increase costs for many permit holders.
Only those with very low emissions (emitting 100g/km or less of CO2) would pay less than a current permit holder, with a 12-month permit costing just £17 for such vehicles. Vehicles with emissions above this would pay at least £60 for a 12-month permit. The top end costs of a 12-month permit would rise to £103, although this would only apply to vehicles which emit more than 185g/km of C02.
Costs for business permits, visitor permits and second vehicles would also increase under the proposed scheme.
Emissions-based costs would not apply to disabled parking permits, however, which would be set at a flat rate of £7 for 12-months.
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Has the new proposed price of£1.35 for two hours parking been set at this amount as it may make it tricky for those who use cash ,if it has to rise why not make it 50p for half a hour and £1.50 for two hours, encouraging people to pay by cash.
I am sure it aimed on forcing everyone to use (Ringo) or your card, .?
They don’t want people to use cash because of the costs involved in handling it!
These prices are set to create the maximum ‘overpay’ as well as drive people to app payments. Those that stick to cash often as not will overpay to get their permit. It may be only by 5 or 15p in most cases, but it is a generous uplift for the car park owners.
Hastings BC admitted (after a FOI request) some years ago that they gained £14k the year in question from overpayments. And you don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to note every card or app payment generates a trail that government or their minions can follow.
Parking in Rye has become a joke,RDC charge disabled drivers to park in their car parks, whilst East Sussex Highways allow disabled drivers to park free 24/7.days a week throughout the year, if you have a permit in church square and watchbell street,it’s cheaper than other parts of Rye.”where is the level playing field in this town “
John Tolhurst is correct, £25 a year for a yearly permit to park in Church Square. £445 a year for a Gibbet Marsh car park permit.
Brighton’s City Council has had to call a truce in its’ war on motorists. Income from parking fees reduced because the cost was too high. People voted with their cars to stay away.
Rye will suffer the same fate with continual increases in parking fees and the difficulty to actually pay them.
East Sussex County Council may initially see an increase in revenue but at what cost to the traders in Bexhill, Battle and Rye.
As for the increasing the cost parking permits based on emissions, only a council could even consider such an idea. Residents who use different vehicles for work and park them at home would have problems, a small van one day and a Transit with a trailer the next for example.
The cost of administration and enforcement would far exceed any benefit from an increase.
The idea that the proposed increases in parking fees will drive visitors to use the appalling public transport in this area is pie in the sky, they will just go elsewhere to everybody’s loss.