East Devon councillors should 'share the pain', says Axminster ward member as car parking prices are hiked

An Axminster councillor argued that members of East Devon District Council should be "sharing the pain" as the authority agreed to double car parking charges in some towns.

Conservative district councillor Ian Hall brandished a car parking ticket at this week's full council meeting, saying his fellow members should be paying for their own parking when carrying out council business.

He made the argument as proposals to double car parking charges to £2 an hour in seaside locations, and increase them to £1.50 in another 21 'prime locations' across the district, were discussed as part of the budget for the upcoming financial year.

The changes will not affect Axminster car parks, but will be seen in neighbouring towns including Seaton, Beer and Honiton.

The council have also agreed to a 3.3 per cent rise in council tax amid the increasing nationwide cost of living crisis, which means residents in an average band D property would see their annual payment to EDDC rise by £5 to £156.76.

The tax paid for district council services is separate from the money residents pay to Devon County Council, which provides services such as children's and adult social care. 

It is the maximum rise allowed by the government without holding a referendum and follows similar increases proposed by other local authorities in Devon, in light of rising inflation and reduced revenues because of the pandemic.

With increases for EDDC, parish and town councils, Devon County Council, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue and the Police and Crime Commissioner, the average band D resident will be paying just over £67 more in council tax over the 2022/23 financial year, which begins in April.

Just over seven per cent of total bills are received by EDDC.

Increase in car parking fees

New parking fees will be in place from April. Car parking charges will rise to £2 in all 21 of the council's seaside car parks – including most in Seaton and Beer – and to £1.50 in six other 'prime locations' in a bid to bolster the council's finances by raising an extra £1.1 million.

The council says parking charges have been benchmarked with other providers around Devon and Dorset with a maximum tariff of £8 per day agreed by a cross-party group of councillors on the overview and scrutiny committee. 

Local residents will be able to buy permits for £10 per month. A £2 a day winter parking offer will continue between October and March each year.

The proposals have irked East Devon MP Simon Jupp who in a recent article wrote: "These new increases will make East Devon's town and high streets some of the most expensive to park in coastal Devon, Dorset and Cornwall.

"I am really concerned by the impact on local shops, jobs, and tourism. So are my Conservative colleagues on the council.

The hike, the council's first for almost 12 years, also drew criticism from some members of the public. A petition by Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce calling for a smaller rise of 20 per cent has received more than 580 signatures.

The change.org petition says EDDC has not expressed "any concern for the impact upon residents who shop in our town centres, or for the beleaguered traders, who have suffered a lot recently and did so much to support their customers during the pandemic".

The monthly option for parking permits of £10 per month works out at £2.31 a week which the council believes "is a very competitive option to park in our car parks".

'Investing in services for residents'

Speaking at a recent EDDC cabinet meeting, Cllr Paul Millar (Labour, Democratic Alliance Group, Exmouth Halsdon) said he was originally against the rise but decided it was justified and would take parking prices in prime locations to levels seen in many other parts of Devon. 

Cllr Millar said: "We're faced with a very difficult decision but one I think we have to take. It's a decision about whether this council wants to be an austerity council or whether it wants to be a council that invests in its services for its residents.

"If Exeter, Teignbridge and Mid Devon are doing that by increasing their charges then why aren't we?"

The move would allow the council to restructure its revenue budget, putting an extra £737,000 into staffing.  

This includes money for its contractor Streetscene, which cleans and maintains public spaces in East Devon including parks, public gardens and council-owned toilets.

The revenue boost also allows the council to put £50,000 into a 'tree strategy,' without eating into its climate change budget. A further £159,000 will go into funding the council's recycling and refuse service.

Additional funds will also go into hiring more staff for 'development management,' which is struggling to stay on top of record numbers of planning requests. Under the plans, two new members of staff will be hired at Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth. 

The council's chief executive, Mark Williams, said: "There's no logic why we should be so behind the curve in terms of the way we approach our charging policy for car parks compared to our neighbours."

He said that with the increase "the council will be on a much better footing to achieve what it wants to achieve."

Councillors should 'share the pain'

Ahead of the final vote on the budget Conservative members at EDDC rallied against the measures one last time.

In a surprise turn, Cllr Ian Hall (Conservatives, Axminster) stood up brandishing a car parking ticket and called on fellow members to introduce an amendment so that councillors would have to pay their own parking fees while on council duties.

"I believe we need to share the pain that the high streets are feeling," he announced.

Cllr Hall was told by council chair Ian Thomas that such a measure was not within the scope of the budget meeting and was reminded that any councillor could choose to waive their right to free parking while on council duties if they wished.

The budget went through with 29 votes in favour, 12 against and no abstentions.

Speaking after the meeting, leader of the council Paul Arnott (Democratic Alliance Group, Coly Valley) said: "I think that the majority of councillors are very disappointed that the Conservatives sought to wreck the budget by opposing it. Fortunately, they lost very clearly."