Brighton ends war on cars as council axes £33.50-a-day parking fee

Brighton City Council has been forced to slash parking charges at the tourist hotspot after the £33.50-a-day fee was driving away daytrippers. 

City officials found that after dramatically increasing parking charges in the south coast city, the amount of revenue from parking decreased. 

Over the next 12 months it was predicted that parking fees could fall by some £1.16million - putting further pressure on already-stressed budgets. 

In May 2023, Labour retook control of Brighton City Council from the Green Party and reversed measures designed to discourage visitors from driving to the area. 

The former council leadership hoped by making the area 'car free' it would make the area more pleasant for visitors and increase footfall. 

According to the Telegraph, the new council leadership has announced a u-turn due to the damage caused to the tourist industry and local businesses. 

Cllr Trevor Muten, the cabinet member for transport, told The Telegraphs that  parking fees had 'increased to the extent they have become more of a deterrent than an incentive for some visitors'.

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Tory Cllr Alistair McNair, who leads the council's opposition group said: 'Parking revenue has been falling and the council has a reputation for being anti-car.'

'We hope resident permit holders also get a reduction in their fees and this city starts to be car-friendly, which also means family and disabled-friendly.

'This parking charge reduction, while welcome, is a gamble as revenue could fall further because the city's reputation has been tarnished for years.'

With the massive increase in parking charges, council owned car parks were less busy and generated less revenue. 

Among the plans being considered are reduced parking charges at night with special evening tariffs to boost the night-time economy. 

However, diesel car drivers are being charged up to £250 extra per year for parking near their homes as more than half of London’s councils impose air pollution surcharges, an investigation has found.

Residential on-street parking permits are more expensive for diesel vehicles in 18 of the capital’s 32 boroughs, including Brighton. 

Hackney has the highest surcharge in the country, charging the owners of a diesel car an additional £250-a-year for an on-street parking permit. 

In Islington, the anti-diesel surcharge is £220 and in Brighton diesel owners can expect to pay £62.05 a year extra. 

But Friends Of The Earth warned that analysis in 2022 showed that 4.5 million Londoners lived in areas where air pollution levels were double World Health Organisation guidelines, which are stricter than UK limits, for at least one of the two key air pollutants.

Much of England and Wales also suffers from poor air quality, the green group said.

Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: 'It is a matter for each council, based on local factors, on how they may wish to improve air quality and reduce pollution, which could include diesel surcharges for residential parking permits.'