A POPULAR seaside town is set to become the “most expensive car park” in the UK after a new price hike plan has been introduced.
Philip Miller, owner of Adventure Island, Southend, is worried that the new charges will deter visitors and has launched a petition against the plans.
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Around 500 people have signed Miller’s petition – but the plans are still set to go ahead.
The new charges will hike the price of evening parking between 6pm and 9pm.
Miller claimed that if the plans were to go ahead, Southend would become the UK’s priciest coastal area for parking.
He added: “There is no need to raise charges at all if they would only implement the action plan I sent in last year showing nearly 500 extra spaces which will bring in far more than any increase will ever do.”
It comes after a new Labour-led joint administration proposed plans to ensure visitors pay their share to help balance the budget.
A vote of no confidence in current Tory council leader, Tony Cox, will be held in an extraordinary council meeting today.
If removed, a new council leader will be elected.
Daniel Cowan, Labour leader, said it was vital to see what “state the council’s finances are in”.
He added: “The position has always been if we can find a way to balance this in a way that brings in the revenue the council needs to reinvest in services whilst balancing the weight of it more towards our visitors rather than our residents then that’s what we’ll seek to do.”
The Labour councillor didn’t rule out the possibility of the car park, which was previously exempt, to the scheme.
However, he recognised the community petition headed by the owner of the seaside park and was aware it still needed to be considered by the cabinet.
Martin Terry, leader of the independent group, admitted that changes were needed regarding the parking zones.
Yet, he agreed that those visiting the seaside town should “pay towards the services they procure”.
A Southend City Council spokesperson told The Sun: “There are a range of car parking options, locations, and prices across our fantastic city which is visited by millions of people every year.
“This includes 36 car parks of which six are in zone 1a which charge the highest rate reflecting their prime locations.
“Twelve are in zone 1b, many of which are in the city centre and close to the seafront and charge a lower rate of £11 all day.
“The council also offers the Southend Pass which offers up to three hours of parking in each of our four zones, every day, for just £12.50 a month.”
Elsewhere a motor was left stunned after a hostile note left on her car branded her “lazy” and “thoughtless” for her parking.
And homeowners claim a parking company is trying to charge them to park cars their own land.
