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City dwellers should pay £15k to park
Oct 19 2005
People who are prepared to pay £250,000 for a luxury flat in Birmingham city centre should not complain about being charged £15,000 for a private parking space, a Labour councillor has insisted.
Kath Hartley, who is her party's transportation spokeswoman, said the new city dwellers were parking on pavements and across driveways because they were not prepared to pay for their own reserved parking places.
Coun Hartley, who represents the city centre Ladywood ward, said developers of new flats and apartments were determined to "cram in as much living space as possible" at the expense of parking.
An annual pass for a council-off-street NCP car park is about £1,500.
Neil Dancer, council chief highway engineer, said: " People willingly sign up to buy these new flats realising there is no parking. But then they realise in a few days that they still need their cars.
"There has got to be a move toward providing more parking at the planning stage."
A council review into onstreet parking arrangements across Birmingham is underway.
Len Gregory, cabinet member for transportation, said parking restrictions close to shopping centres were often unnecessary and served only to force drivers to leave their cars in residential streets.
Coun Gregory (Con Billesley) added: "My philosophy is if it is safe to do so then we should review traffic regulation orders to allow people to park.
"That would take pressure off the side roads which in turn would reduce demand for residents parking schemes."
