Opposition to the Introduction of Parking Charges at The George Park and Ride.

98% of respondents to Plymouth City Council’s “consultation” stated that they opposed the Council’s proposals. Despite this overwhelming response, the Council has chosen to disregard the views expressed and is pressing ahead with the introduction of parking charges regardless.

The financial impact on commuters will be significant. Anyone parking in this car park for more than six hours a day, five days a week, for 40 weeks of the year could face an additional cost of around £700 a year. That is an outrageous burden to place on working people, particularly when the car park itself has already been paid for by taxpayers.

The consequences will extend far beyond those using the car park. Introducing charges will inevitably encourage more drivers to seek free parking on surrounding residential streets. This risks increased congestion, inconsiderate and obstructive parking, reduced road safety and less available parking for local residents.

The Council could then find itself having to introduce residential parking permit schemes or install additional double yellow lines to deal with the problems created by its own policy, imposing yet more costs on residents and taxpayers.

There is also a glaring omission from the current proposal. The original plan included adding an additional storey to the car park, potentially creating capacity for a further 300–600 vehicles. That proposal has now been abandoned, yet the Cabinet report does not even adequately address this fundamental change in the rationale for the scheme.

The Council’s handling of this process demonstrates a complete disregard for the views of the people it consulted. A consultation in which 98% of respondents opposed the proposals cannot simply be treated as an inconvenience to be ignored.