Parking charges at park 'will cost too much'

Hayley Myford said the council should be encouraging people to use outdoor spaces, not charging them to use them

A deadline for people to give their views about plans to introduce parking charges at three parks run by Birmingham City Council closes on Friday.

The authority has said the charges at Sutton Park, Lickey Hills Country Park and Sheldon Country Park will bring the city in line with other areas of the UK and help towards the cost of maintaining them.

Former police officer Hayley Myford takes part in the parkrun at Sutton Park every Saturday and is among those opposing the changes.

The 57-year-old said it was "too much money - we pay tax on everything, so for them to give us something back in a green space isn't asking much"

The proposals would cost visitors to Sutton Park, and Lickey Hills Country Park, which crosses the Worcestershire border, £1 per hour for up to four hours and £5 all day, while visitors to Sheldon Country Park will pay 75p per hour for up to three hours and £3.50 all day.

Ms Myford said for regulars, "the cost over a month is the equivalent to someone's shopping bill or water bill", although the council is also giving people the option of an annual permit which at Sutton Park would cost £52.

Another parkrunner, Paul Tuite, said he did not mind paying the charges but "the money has to go back into the park, it cannot go anywhere else".

Councillor Richard Parkin said Sutton Park had been "starved of funding" and is concerned the money raised would not be reinvested there

Concerns about what will happen to the money were echoed by Sutton Reddicap Conservative councillor Richard Parkin.

He said the site, one of the largest urban parks in Europe, had been "neglected" by the city council and "desperately needs investment".

Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council has previously proposed that the park should be taken over by a trust to attract more funding and investment.

Councillor Parkin said that would help "sustain the park and ensure it has a long-term future".

Labour councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, responded: "All surplus revenues from the parking charge, once operational costs have been considered, will be reinvested into the park to enhance biodiversity and improve the overall visitor experience."

Sue Garton worries parkrun volunteers at Sutton Park will be put off

The Saturday parkrun is one of many events at Sutton Park aimed at encouraging people to get out and exercise.

It is staffed by volunteers, including Sue Garton, who said the council risked putting off runners and volunteers if they had to pay.

The 64-year-old said charges were waived at other parkruns, and "the council should seriously look at doing something like that to support parkrun."

The argument that many of those attending the race are local and could avoid the charges by walking or cycling to the park is disputed by Alan Prince who drives from Selly Oak with friends to take part.

"We make a conscious effort to wake up, drive 30 or 40 minutes to get here and make a healthier choice," he said.

Peter Westbrook, chair of Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club is worried about the impact of displaced parking on his players

Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club rents the pitch at nearby Wyndley Leisure Centre.

The car park there is set to remain free, and chair Peter Westbrook said he feared it would be used by those wanting to avoid the charges.

He said 360 juniors play on Sundays at the outdoor hockey pitch and he was concerned parents would end up parking on pavements or verges.

"It's going to create a hell of a lot of problems, and friction and altercations," he said.

The city council said it was aware of the potential impact of displaced parking and would be looking at traffic restrictions in popular areas.

Darryl Pannell, owner of Blackroot Bistro, at Sutton Park said parking charges were generating uncertainty for his business

Sutton Park is also home to a number of hospitality businesses, including Blackroot Bistro.

Owner Darryl Pannell said: "Certain things that we might have been planning to do here, we may have to put on hold and just see how things pan out once the charges are in place."

Mr Pannell, who employs 26 people, added "we certainly aren't going to attract more people into the park by charging."

He said while many of his customers could afford to pay the charges there were some who couldn't, and many of them were elderly.

"I do really feel for them, as for a lot of them this is the only social interaction they get outside of their home, so that's a bit sad."