A controversial 26% increase in residential parking permit fees has sparked an uproar among Gloucester Liberal Democrats, highlighting deep concerns over the financial strain on local residents.
The hike, approved during Gloucestershire County Council’s budget meeting on February 18, will raise the annual cost for a household’s first parking permit from £63.30 to £80, with the second permit increasing from £127.35 to £160. Business permits will also rise, from £339.90 to £400 for the first permit and up to £500 for a second. Additionally, a new £30 fee will be introduced for care worker permits.
These increases are part of budget plans that also include a 4.99% council tax rise starting in April and aim to make the parking permit service financially balanced for the council over the next three years.
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However, not all politicians supported the hike. Two Liberal Democrat councillors broke ranks with their party to back an Independent amendment seeking a 12-month freeze on the new charges. Councillor Jeremy Hilton voiced strong opposition, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on residents of Kingsholm and Wotton, areas known for high permit usage.
Councillor Alastair Chambers, who proposed the freeze, cited petitions from residents “deeply concerned” about the financial burden. Praising Hilton’s support, Chambers remarked, “Common sense prevails.”
Highlighting financial data from his ward, Councillor Hilton shared that the parking schemes generate £634,000, a figure he believes exceeds what is necessary to maintain the service locally.
Another Lib Dem councillor, Rebecca Trimnell, called the 26% increase “excessive and unreasonable,” pointing out that other authorities charge significantly less. She stressed the particular hardship faced by “one-car families” in her area, many of whom are already struggling amid the rising cost of living despite working full-time minimum-wage jobs.
Conservative Councillor Sajid Patel condemned the hike as “extortionate and unjustified,” accusing the council of treating residents as “a cash cow.” Patel suggested scrapping the permit scheme entirely and reinstating free parking for local residents.
While Deputy Leader Colin Hay defended the increase as necessary to fund key services including roads, schools, and social care, he acknowledged carers’ importance and pledged to form a working group to address permit issues, including the new care worker fee.
Ultimately, the call to freeze parking permit charges was defeated by 31 votes to 18, with the overall budget passing 34 to 16.