Sheffield Council's 1.2 Million Profits from Parking Permits!

[Planner1]

The council decided without a popular mandate to introduce them.

 

Not true.

 

They consulted all of the areas likely to be covered by the PPZ and people wanted permit zones. They have implemented them in the areas where there is popular support.

 

They don't have any plans for significant expansion of permit zones at the moment.

These schemes and the associated penalty nitoces create a massive profit for the council on an annual basis.

Most reasonable size towns and cities produce a surplus from parking schemes and enforcement. The law allows them to, so long as it is spent on specified purposes.

I will expect that Parking Services will continue to grow.

Why would it if the permit zones aren't growing.

 

And more zones will be introduced especially in the more affluent areas - haven't seen the plans for the parking schemes in the Manor or Darnall yet - depsite the council promising it.

 

Yet another Chity Council lie.

There aren't any plans for significant expansion at the moment.

 

When have SCC ever promised permit zones in Manor or Darnall?

 

The permit zones are nothing to do with whether an area is affluent or not. They have been implemented in the areas which have suffered most from commuter / visitor parking problems and where demand for permit schemes is strongest.

[retep]

What makes you think these schemes are illegally introduced and if they were, why haven't you or others done anything about it?

 

Did you have any involvement in introducing these schemes?

[Litotes]

Not true.

 

They consulted all of the areas likely to be covered by the PPZ and people wanted permit zones. They have implemented them in the areas where there is popular support.

 

 

Remind me - what was the support for the Sharrowvale scheme - less than 10% wasn't it?

And in fact they had more objections than support but ignored those.

 

They don't have any plans for significant expansion of permit zones at the moment.

 

This was all part of the 'ring of steel' peripheral parking zone scheme - Darnall and the Manor are on the preriphery of the city centre, so why have they been excluded from this parking tax?

Most reasonable size towns and cities produce a surplus from parking schemes and enforcement. The law allows them to, so long as it is spent on specified purposes.

 

But not the the £1,000,000 extent Sheffield has - and in fact many give the first permit for free.

 

Why would it if the permit zones aren't growing.

 

There aren't any plans for significant expansion at the moment.

 

Why not? See comment on Darnall and the Manor above

When have SCC ever promised permit zones in Manor or Darnall?

 

See comment on Darnall and the Manor above

The permit zones are nothing to do with whether an area is affluent or not. They have been implemented in the areas which have suffered most from commuter / visitor parking problems and where demand for permit schemes is strongest.

 

Tell that to us mugs who are continuing to be fleeced by the Council.

[Planner1]

Did you have any involvement in introducing these schemes?

No. I was only involved in Broomhill and Sharrow Vale.

 

---------- Post added 16-11-2014 at 14:22 ----------

 

Remind me - what was the support for the Sharrowvale scheme - less than 10% wasn't it?

And in fact they had more objections than support but ignored those.

10% of what? The number of properties in the zone? Number of people who responded?

 

This was all part of the 'ring of steel' peripheral parking zone scheme - Darnall and the Manor are on the preriphery of the city centre, so why have they been excluded from this parking tax?

Darnall only has a small border with the city centre and there is no residential in that area, so little demand for permit parking. Little demand either in the area of Manor Castle Ward which borders the city centre. As I said, they have put schemes in where there was demand.

But not the the £1,000,000 extent Sheffield has - and in fact many give the first permit for free.

If you search for the RAC Foundation's report: English Local Authority Parking Finances and look in table 6 which records the amount of surplus that Local Authorities make from parking, you'll note that Sheffield is not even in the top 20, in fact we rank 59th of the 370 English local authorities. So they are hardly making a mint here compared to others.

 

It's also interesting that the Green party are making a lot of noise about permit prices in Sheffield. Brighton and Hove, which they control makes the highest surplus outside London.

[Penistone999]

Authorities can pitch their prices exactly as they like. Some, like Nottingham, give a residents permit free, but charge three times what Sheffield do for a business permit. Manchester give free residents permits in some places but charge up to £750 for a city centre residents permit. Sheffield's are £200

 

 

Your link proves that the Star have done a quick google search for permit prices, nothing more.

 

Different Authorities choose to cover their costs in different ways. Nottingham will give a resident a permit free, but charge a business £200 (Sheffield £72).

 

You say you are a businessman but you clearly have not got a clue when it comes to calculating your costs.

 

There is far more to running a permit scheme than printing off a permit and posting it.

 

The Council have a full team of people whose some job it is to administer permit applications and enquiries, that's half a dozen people plus management. Those people need an office, desks, computers, systems, consumables, heat, power. They all cost money. And there are of course corporate overheads, like finance, payroll, HR, etc etc to take into account.

 

The permit schemes are worthless without the threat of enforcement, so there are numerous enforcement staff whose job it is to patrol and enforce. They have a depot, offices, uniforms, systems, equipment, vehicles, fuel, etc etc etc. Then there's the administration and processing of the penalties which needs people, systems, offices etc etc etc. And of course the physical infrastructure needs to be maintained, which also takes a team of people with a depot, equipment, tools, vehicles, etc etc.

 

Parking Services costs £4m per annum to run. Of that, administering and enforcing the permit schemes costs around £1.2m. The income from permits was £460k per annum last time I saw figures. The permit income very clearly does not cover the cost of administering and enforcing the schemes.

 

 

But parking services isnt just PARKING PERMITS is it. ? It covers the whole of parking enforcement in the city, so to "Suggest" the £4m per annum is what it costs to enforce permits is misleading to sat the least ,and some may say an attempt by the council to muddy the waters .

[Localman]

If you buy a home or a business without on-site parking, you pay significantly less than you do for similar premises that have.

 

That’s good news. Of course, the bad news is that you don’t have anywhere exclusive to park. Certainly, you have no more right to a parking-place outside your home or business – or even in the same street or neighbourhood – than any other road user.

 

In those circumstances, it does not seem to me to be unreasonable for some residents and local businesses to get some priority or exclusivity in on-street parking. However, it is not unreasonable for the rest of us to expect those residents and businesses who are gaining a considerable benefit – and often at the cost of a dis-benefit to the rest of us to pay for the schemes.

 

I leave those with knowledge and expertise to establish whether the Sheffield schemes are being subsidised or otherwise.

 

However, given the political debate that this has generated, I’ve just quickly looked at the Permit charges of some other authorities with different political controls.

 

I’m most interested in business permits, but I’ve included both resident and business permit charges. For obvious reasons, I excluded London.

 

Resident Permit Business Permit (Low emission)

Sheffield £36 £72 (£36)

Brighton* £120 £300 (£150)

Portsmouth** £0-£107.50 £107.50 - £325

CheshireEast*** £50 £80

 

*Green Party flagship council

**Largest Liberal Democrat controlled council

***With Calderdale (website down) about the nearest Conservative-controlled council to Sheffield

 

Draw your own conclusions.

[Mecky]

But parking services isnt just PARKING PERMITS is it. ? It covers the whole of parking enforcement in the city, so to "Suggest" the £4m per annum is what it costs to enforce permits is misleading to sat the least ,and some may say an attempt by the council to muddy the waters .

 

I thought you appreciated people who stood on their own two feet and generated lots of their own money?

[Penistone999]

I thought you appreciated people who stood on their own two feet and generated lots of their own money?

 

I do , but parking charges , be they private parking cowboys or the council are legalized theft from already taxed to death motorists .

[atticus]

I'd be more worried if parking services were losing money

[LeMaquis]

I do , but parking charges , be they private parking cowboys or the council are legalized theft from already taxed to death motorists .

 

If you oppose parking charges you must oppose rents for the same reason and let people live in your properties for nothing. Good on you.

 

---------- Post added 16-11-2014 at 20:50 ----------

 

The fact that the surplus from the parking account is used for citywide transport spending is not in question. See 3.4, 4.12 and 4.14 from this report: http://sheffielddemocracy.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g5841/Public%20reports%20pack%20Thursday%2028-Aug-2014%2011.00%20Economic%20and%20Environmental%20Wellbeing%20Scrutiny%20and%20P.pdf?T=10

 

The fact that permit parking in Leeds, and other cities, is free shows that Sheffielders are being ripped off.

 

Ah, citywide transport spending. So not just the leafy suburbs then but everywhere in Sheffield. As I said before, the Lib-Dems used to be experts at this kind of half-truth demagoguery.

 

It's not just Sheffield that rips car-owners off though, is it? Green-run Brighton council also charges;

 

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/Resident%20Permit%20Application%20Form%2013-14.pdf

Edited November 16, 2014 by LeMaquis