End to Whitehall's 'war on motorists': Slash your parking charges, Pickles tells councils

More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist. I
think we have seen a peak in the level of state-sanctioned bullying of
drivers, which of course is a welcome thing. Fanatical, irrational and
dishonest nastiness towards motorists is once again being confined to
the loony bins where it once solely dwelled and where it solely belongs
(the likes of uk.rec.cycling[.moderated], Brake and Friends of the
Earth, rather than those who have power).

I note that train fares are soaring in the new year. That's the way to
get people out of their cars. The car-haters seem to consistently miss
the point that there's no point in merrily trying to make motoring as
unpleasant as possible if you don't provide an adequate, reasonably-
priced alternative for people to use. You would have thought that was
pretty obvious.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

End to Whitehall's 'war on motorists': Slash your parking charges,
Pickles tells councils

By Daniel Martin
Last updated at 11:04 PM on 2nd January 2011

Parking fees could be dramatically cut after the Coalition scrapped red
tape introduced by Labour.

Town halls will no longer have to follow Whitehall regulations that
encourage excessive parking fees, designed to get residents to choose
public transport over their cars.

And they will no longer be obliged to obey environmental rules which
restrict the number of parking spaces when new homes are built.

Ministers say the move is part of a plan to reverse a decade-long ?war
on motorists?.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has told councils he expects them to
slash parking charges which shot up by as much as tenfold in some areas
under Labour ? causing damage to town centres as drivers stopped
frequenting local shops.

But success is by no means guaranteed ? only two months ago, councils
banded together to lobby the Government to allow them to put up parking
fines.

Unveiling the changes, Mr Pickles said: ?Whitehall?s addiction to
micromanagement has created a parking nightmare with stressed-out
drivers running a gauntlet of unfair fines, soaring charges and a total
lack of residential parking.

?The result is our pavements and verges crammed with cars on kerbs
endangering drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, increased public
resentment of overzealous parking wardens and escalating charges and
fines.

?Today the Government is calling off Whitehall?s war on the motorist by
scrapping the national policy restricting residential parking spaces and
instructing councils to push up charges.

'We expect councils to follow suit. From now on, communities have the
freedom to set competitive local charges that bring shoppers to the high
street, proportionate enforcement and the right number of spaces for new
development.

?We?re getting out of the way and it?s up to councils to set the right
parking for their area.?

Mr Pickles scrapped national planning restrictions imposed in 2001 that
required councils to limit the number of parking spaces allowed in new
residential developments, and set high parking charges to encourage the
use of alternative modes of transport.

The Government believes these rules unfairly penalised drivers, led to
over-zealous parking enforcement.

Parking problems on new developments can also spread to surrounding
neighbourhoods.

The spill-over of cars from the new development creates a knock-on
effect of street congestion in other areas nearby.

This can cause blind spots for pedestrians, and potentially even hinder
emergency vehicles.

Research conducted by motor insurer Direct Line found that between 2000
and 2007, average parking charges jumped 40 per cent from 86p for two
hours to £1.21.

But in some areas the charges rose even more steeply. In parts of
Hertfordshire they went up from 10p for two hours to £1.08.

From now on, councils will be free to set parking policies that are
right for their areas.

This will include taking into account the effect of parking charges on
the vitality of their local economy and local shops.

Councils that want to attract shoppers through low parking charges in
town centres will now be able to do so without interference from
Whitehall.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: ?This is a key step in ending
the war on the motorist.

?For years politicians peddled the pessimistic, outdated attitude that
they could only cut carbon emissions by forcing people out of their
cars.

?But this Government recognises that cars are a lifeline for many people
? and that by supporting the next generation of ultra-low emission
vehicles, it can enable sustainable green motoring to be a long-term
part of Britain?s future transport planning.?

On 02/01/2011 23:50, Nuxx Bar wrote:

More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist.

But not by anything like enough.

I saw the BBC news item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12105869

That the government is "no longer instruct[ing local councils] to set high
parking charges to encourage the use of other transport" is simply nowhere
NEAR enough.

The DoT should be actively preventing local authorities from charging
excessive parking fees, and penalising maliciously rapacious local
authorities financially for doing so - severely enough that there will be no
gain for them.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

That same story (not with as much detail) is on the BBC website, as cited above.

On Jan 3, 12:55*am, JNugent wrote:
On 02/01/2011 23:50, Nuxx Bar wrote:

More good news. *It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist.

But not by anything like enough.

I saw the BBC news item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12105869

That the government is "no longer instruct[ing local councils] to set high
parking charges to encourage the use of other transport" is simply nowhere
NEAR enough.

The DoT should be actively preventing local authorities from charging
excessive parking fees, and penalising maliciously rapacious local
authorities financially for doing so - severely enough that there will be no
gain for them.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

That same story (not with as much detail) is on the BBC website, as cited above.

So glad to see that the "war on the motorist" is over:-

http://tinyurl.com/32nrgx8

http://tinyurl.com/39zhgfy

Though you may not like the postbellum phase.

On Jan 3, 5:37*pm, Squashme wrote:
On Jan 3, 12:55*am, JNugent wrote:



On 02/01/2011 23:50, Nuxx Bar wrote:

More good news. *It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist.

But not by anything like enough.

I saw the BBC news item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12105869

That the government is "no longer instruct[ing local councils] to set high
parking charges to encourage the use of other transport" is simply nowhere
NEAR enough.

The DoT should be actively preventing local authorities from charging
excessive parking fees, and penalising maliciously rapacious local
authorities financially for doing so - severely enough that there will be no
gain for them.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

That same story (not with as much detail) is on the BBC website, as cited above.

So glad to see that the "war on the motorist" is over:-

http://tinyurl.com/32nrgx8

http://tinyurl.com/39zhgfy

Though you may not like the postbellum phase.

Also Local Councils are arguing that because of the money the
government has taken away from them they will not be able to reduce
parking charges.

LOL!

Doug.

On 03/01/2011 18:08, Doug wrote:
On Jan 3, 5:37 pm, wrote:
On Jan 3, 12:55 am, wrote:



On 02/01/2011 23:50, Nuxx Bar wrote:

More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist.

But not by anything like enough.

I saw the BBC news item:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12105869

That the government is "no longer instruct[ing local councils] to set high
parking charges to encourage the use of other transport" is simply nowhere
NEAR enough.

The DoT should be actively preventing local authorities from charging
excessive parking fees, and penalising maliciously rapacious local
authorities financially for doing so - severely enough that there will be no
gain for them.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

That same story (not with as much detail) is on the BBC website, as cited above.

So glad to see that the "war on the motorist" is over:-

http://tinyurl.com/32nrgx8

http://tinyurl.com/39zhgfy

Though you may not like the postbellum phase.

Also Local Councils are arguing that because of the money the
government has taken away from them they will not be able to reduce
parking charges.

LOL!

Doug.

Perhaps we should charge for cycle parking.

--
Tony Dragon

In article , lid
says...

More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist. I
think we have seen a peak in the level of state-sanctioned bullying of
drivers, which of course is a welcome thing.

You stupid ****; once the ConDems get into their stride, the people of
this country are going to get ****ed over like you wouldn't believe.

--
Halmyre

The more you know the less the better

"Squashme" wrote in message
...
On Jan 3, 12:55 am, JNugent wrote:
On 02/01/2011 23:50, Nuxx Bar wrote:

More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist.

But not by anything like enough.

I saw the BBC news item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12105869

That the government is "no longer instruct[ing local councils] to set high
parking charges to encourage the use of other transport" is simply nowhere
NEAR enough.

The DoT should be actively preventing local authorities from charging
excessive parking fees, and penalising maliciously rapacious local
authorities financially for doing so - severely enough that there will be
no
gain for them.

(Let's see if anyone tries to divert from the real point of the
discussion by complaining about which publication is being cited....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...hitehalls-war-
motorists-Slash-parking-charges-Pickles-tells-councils.html

That same story (not with as much detail) is on the BBC website, as cited
above.

So glad to see that the "war on the motorist" is over:-

http://tinyurl.com/32nrgx8

http://tinyurl.com/39zhgfy

Though you may not like the postbellum phase.

Does that include the cripling extra taxes on fuel?

Alan

"Nuxx Bar" wrote in message
...
More good news. It certainly does feel that since this much people-
friendlier, more competent, less patronising and less authoritarian
government took over from the Worst Government Ever, there have been a
series of developments which have lessened the war on the motorist. I
think we have seen a peak in the level of state-sanctioned bullying of
drivers, which of course is a welcome thing. Fanatical, irrational and
dishonest nastiness towards motorists is once again being confined to
the loony bins where it once solely dwelled and where it solely belongs
(the likes of uk.rec.cycling[.moderated], Brake and Friends of the
Earth, rather than those who have power).

But have you foregotten that the 'war' includes the extra taxes on fuel
which is making driving very much more expensive?

Alan

On Jan 3, 9:11*pm, Halmyre wrote:


You stupid ****; once the ConDems get into their stride, the people of
this country are going to get ****ed over like you wouldn't believe.


You mean the same way that Tony and Gordon have ****ed us over,
selling the family silver for example.

On Jan 4, 7:57*am, NM wrote:
On Jan 3, 9:11*pm, Halmyre wrote:



You stupid ****; once the ConDems get into their stride, the people of
this country are going to get ****ed over like you wouldn't believe.

You mean the same way that Tony and Gordon have ****ed us over,
selling the family silver for example.

Um, no, I think you'll find it was the Tories who sold the family
silver, except of course those items that they destroyed out of sheer
spite.

--
Halmyre