Sheffield Council's 1.2 Million Profits from Parking Permits!

[Cllr Rob]

I don't understand why the Green Party wouldn't support some council income subsidising environmentally-friendly policies. Would the Greens support for example public transport being subsidised by a parking scheme excess of income over running costs?

 

We've not got a problem with subsidising some environmentally-friendly policies.

The problem is it would be unfair to expect a small proportion of the population to pay, based on the fact that they are adversely affected by drivers from outside of the area parking outside their houses.

[Planner1]

£150 WAS extortionate, £200 IS even more extortionate.

 

I'm not interested in the split between social and private housing in the city centre. I was just making the point that not everyone who lives there is in expensive flats.

Parking space in a city centre commands a premium. The premium here is a lot less than in other places.

 

So, are we to conclude that you don't know how much it costs to produce and administer a parking permit?

 

If that is the case, how do you know that £10 even covers the cost? And in that case, how does subsidising motorists sit with your party's principles?

 

---------- Post added 09-02-2014 at 23:28 ----------

 

We've not got a problem with subsidising some environmentally-friendly policies.

The problem is it would be unfair to expect a small proportion of the population to pay, based on the fact that they are adversely affected by drivers from outside of the area parking outside their houses.

So do you expect the rest of the city's residents to subsidise priority for the people who live in those areas.

[Cllr Rob]

Parking space in a city centre commands a premium. The premium here is a lot less than in other places.

 

So, are we to conclude that you don't know how much it costs to produce and administer a parking permit?

 

If that is the case, how do you know that £10 even covers the cost? And in that case, how does subsidising motorists sit with your party's principles?

 

---------- Post added 09-02-2014 at 23:28 ----------

 

So do you expect the rest of the city's residents to subsidise priority for the people who live in those areas.

 

We are still waiting for up-to-date figures from parking services, as opposition councillors we suffer from similar problems to local residents in getting information about controversial issues.

 

From previous years we have an idea of the overall costs and incomes of Parking Permit Zones.

 

Obviously increasing permit prices will have had an effect, but when permits were £10 for the first car they were considered roughly revenue neutral.

 

I don't know why you consider PPZs may be subsidised. Do you have any information to back this up?

[Planner1]

Obviously increasing permit prices will have had an effect, but when permits were £10 for the first car they were considered roughly revenue neutral.

 

I don't know why you consider PPZs may be subsidised. Do you have any information to back this up?

 

So you think there was some science behind the Lib-Dems picking £10 as the permit price? Can you point us to it?

 

If permits cost more to produce and administer than the purchase price, they are subsidised.

 

How does lowering the cost of motoring sit with your party's principles?

[Cyclone]

Are you claiming that the initial price was a complete guess? Not based on any estimate of costs and revenue at all?

[Planner1]

Are you claiming that the initial price was a complete guess? Not based on any estimate of costs and revenue at all?

 

I'm asking to see any calculation that Councillor Rob can point us to. As he's proposing a return to £10, you would hope he's done some research.

[cuttsie]

Not all council workers have free parking it all depends on what their job role is for example certain roles (social workers, buildings officers maintenance officers etc are given passes as they will be required to travel round various sites and also for emergency situations ) those pass are only valid during weekdays and some are only valid for 5 hours

All the above workers can be found in the private secter although their title may differ.

For instance a builder, plumber carer etc can be called out to an emergancy situation, the firm I used to work at for instance were some times called out to shore up dangerious structures and you can bet Nuffields millions that we would get parking tickets while at the same time the council vehicles would be ignored.

One rule for all workers should be the norm.

 

---------- Post added 10-02-2014 at 09:02 ----------

 

I'm asking to see any calculation that Councillor Rob can point us to. As he's proposing a return to £10, you would hope he's done some research.

How much does it cost to print a permit sticker.

[LeMaquis]

We've not got a problem with subsidising some environmentally-friendly policies.

The problem is it would be unfair to expect a small proportion of the population to pay, based on the fact that they are adversely affected by drivers from outside of the area parking outside their houses.

 

That's a fair point but if the revenue from permits doesn't pay for the scheme then others are subsidising those in the scheme areas either by paying towards the scheme or by having services reduced. I'd like to know what the cost actually is in line with previous questions. If the scheme costs more than £10 per permit why should others pay towards this? I don't see any other reason than the Greens think their constituents should be subsidised in order to maximise the Green vote.

[Planner1]

How much does it cost to print a permit sticker.

 

If you are trying to work out the cost we have been discussing, it isn''t just about printing off a "sticker" (and they are not stickers anyway)

 

Evidence has to be submitted and checked that aplicants are entitled to a permit, records have to be kept, enquiries fielded, renewal reminders sent etc etc. All of this costs money in terms of staff time, as does the actual printing off of permits (and, putting all of the required info in an envelope, sending it off, recording that it's been sent etc. Then there are the equipment costs and accomodation costs, management and employee adminstration costs.

 

It isn't just the cost of the actual permit, there is a lot more to it than that.

[metalman]

If you are trying to work out the cost we have been discussing, it isn''t just about printing off a "sticker" (and they are not stickers anyway)

 

Evidence has to be submitted and checked that aplicants are entitled to a permit, records have to be kept, enquiries fielded, renewal reminders sent etc etc. All of this costs money in terms of staff time, as does the actual printing off of permits (and, putting all of the required info in an envelope, sending it off, recording that it's been sent etc. Then there are the equipment costs and accomodation costs, management and employee adminstration costs.

 

It isn't just the cost of the actual permit, there is a lot more to it than that.

 

So if it's such a hassle, why do it? And don't give me that old 'residents asked for it, so we had to do it' answer - residents asked for weekly bin collections as well but they didn't get them. The answer, of course, is given in the thread title.