‘Total misery’ - new details of Sutton Park parking charge plans emerge on potholes, payments and more

New details have been revealed of plans to charge for parking at a Sutton Coldfield beauty spot - as a councillor claimed they would cause ‘total misery’. The proposal to charge drivers in Sutton Park was first suggested by Birmingham City Council in 2018.

Although that went quiet, it resurfaced as part of the authority’s budget plans for 2024/2025 as it fights a black hole in its finances. The council this month launched an ‘informal’ three-week consultation process until Friday, December 6, with plans to also charge for parking in Sheldon Country Park and Lickey Hills Country Park.

The surveys will ask what people would be willing to pay to park - but not whether they think a payment is a good idea in the first place. The proposal is for parking charges from 9am to 6pm every day of the year, including Christmas Day.

READ MORE: Anger as Birmingham parks could soon charge people to park - even on Christmas

The council also asks what improvements those filling in the survey would like to see in each of the parks. But a press release did not say money raised by the charges would in any way be ringfenced for the three beauty spots.

Instead, it said: “As part of the budget for 2025/26 the principle of charging was agreed to achieve necessary savings and help sustain, protect and maintain our 660 parks and green spaces.”

Sutton Trinity city and town councillor David Pears (Cons.) wrote to a city council officer to ask for more information. The officer revealed some further details of the scheme, particularly for Sutton Park, which Coun Pears said would cause ‘misery for residents’.

It appears the plan is to charge motorists to park at Sutton Park before any improvements are made to either car parks or the perilous potholed roads leading to them. The officer said: “It is expected pothole repairs and other car park improvements will start to take place in the years after implementation and continue as the scheme generates revenue.”

The car parks are expected to have pay and display machines with the options for cash and card payments. The officer said: “It is expected the proposals will include Pay & Display machines that accept card and coin payments, alongside payments via the RingGo app and phone system.

“A cash collection service will be established with the council’s contracted agent for cash collections. NSL, the council’s contracted enforcement agents, will be tasked with enforcing the parks for non-payment.”

READ MORE: Proposals for new charges at three beauty spots slammed as ‘unfair'

And the money generated is not guaranteed to be used in Sutton Park. The officer said: “Income from the schemes will support the budget challenge and help sustain, protect and maintain our parks and green spaces.”

There was little detail on whether traffic regulation orders, restricting parking on the roads around Sutton Park, would be put in place, with charges in the park expected to lead to park visitors leaving their cars on the many residential roads nearby.

The officer said: “Plans for traffic restrictions will be captured as part of the design of the proposals following the informal consultation and will be available at the next stage of consultation to follow.” A formal consultation process is expected to follow , with the officer adding: “Online stakeholder engagement sessions are planned for next week as part of this. These proposals will then be consulted on formally during the Traffic Regulation Order process to follow.”

Coun Pears said the proposals would cause ‘misery’ for those living near the park as well as costs for those using the park with no guarantee the money would generate any improvements. His views were echoed by Sutton's MP Andrew Mitchell who labelled the parking charge plan as 'shocking'.

Coun Pears has launched a petition against the proposal and is holding an emergency public meeting at Sutton Town Hall’s Bedford Suite next Wednesday, November 27, at 7pm inviting council officers to explain the plans and for the public to air their views. But the council has said 'due to diary pressures with a small team no-one can attend'.

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He said: “I sent an email to a council officer about the proposals last weekend inviting to my meeting and also asking a number of other questions. The reply said the pothole repairs will start in the years after implementation, not before charges are made.

“They are not going to fill in the potholes or upgrade the car parks or put in traffic regulation orders first. It’s going to be total misery for residents. I can foresee more people claiming for trips or damage to cars too.

“This time around they are going to leave the place in a mess and charge people for using it. We all know the traffic restrictions around Sutton Coldfield town centre generally and Good Hope Hospital aren’t enforced as they should be.

“It seems to be just another scheme to fill in the money in bankrupt Birmingham’s budget. The council said the money will be used to help support the council’s 660 green spaces. There’s going to be diddly squat coming to Sutton.”

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Coun Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, in launching the consultations said: “We have some fantastic green spaces all over the city, including major parks with great facilities, but we need to be able to maintain them for the benefit of everyone. So we want to hear from people who use the parks, whether for walking, cycling, walking the dog, exercising or just catching up with friends.

“Our green spaces are vital parts of communities as well as being popular for visitors from further afield, so please let us know your thoughts. We would like to know your views on what you think are appropriate charges and when you should be charged.”