A car park in the city centre of Birmingham (Image: Getty)
A Labour-run city council has been accused of harbouring a “visceral hatred of cars and motorists” following their approach to reducing the number of cars on its roads. Birmingham introduced plans to remove thousands of its car park spaces in a bid to reduce how many private petrol and diesel cars roam the streets three years ago, but has come under renewed fire from rival councillors for the "crazy plan".
The Conservative opposition say the scheme simply punishes drivers rather than offering a viable alternative. Birmingham City Council's (BCC) new Transport Plan details how parking updates will be used to “manage demand” for car travel, with the current car park space set to be “put to more productive use”.
The council told Express.co.uk there is a need to "prioritise people and communities over private motor vehicles" and to tackle the "public health emergency" of air pollution.
READ MORE Major UK city could target workers with new parking charges on the table
Meirion Jenkins, shadow cabinet member for finance & resources told Express.co.uk: “Not content with bankrupting the city, Birmingham Labour’s visceral hatred of cars and motorists has now led to their latest crazy plan for transport in the city.
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“With scant regard to the practicalities of living and working in a busy city, Labour plan to take away people’s ability to drive into Birmingham and park when they get there. As ever, this will hit the usual victims, hardworking people going about their business and particularly shift workers, tradesmen and those that need to take the car into their office.”
He also said Birmingham’s version of the “ULEZ” scheme “targets older vehicles and therefore the least well off".
“Birmingham is a motor trade city where many thousands earn their living from the motor trade but Labour couldn’t care less in their campaign against cars and motorists,” he added.
Birmingham council insisted there "remains parking provision in the city" for those who need to drive.
Conservative Councillor Timothy Huxtable said the scheme approached the issue from the wrong angle when compared with the plans by Conservative Mayor for West Midlands Andy Street. He told Express.co.uk: “The approach of BCC appears to be to penalise drivers for driving into the City Centre.”
Mr Street's scheme, by contrast, offers alternative options, said the councillor (Image: Getty)
The shadow cabinet member for transport added the changes to the use of cars could impact the make-up of the city’s buzzing centre.
He said it “will have a major impact on retail businesses in the City Centre, who will choose to move to other local centres and towns, where it is easier to travel to by car and to park.” Mr Huxtable compared this “stick approach” to Mr Street’s “carrot approach”.
Mr Street is already re-opening five new railway stations in the West Midlands, three of which are in Birmingham, and intends to open a further five - two in Birmingham - over the next few years.
The Birmingham Conservatives also highlighted that Mr Street secured ￡1.75 billion in investment for the Midlands Rail Hub to rebuild two stations in the city centre.
The Transport Plan reads: “Parking will be used as a means to manage demand for travel by car through availability, pricing and restrictions.
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“Where development potential exists, land currently occupied by car parking will be put to more productive use.
“All car journeys begin and end with parking. Therefore, managing demand for parking is a central means of managing demand for travel by car.”
According to the Transport Plan, there has already been a staggering reduction in council-owned car park spaces with around 2,500 lost each year since 2012 - but future plans will include a major review of all parking provisions across the city centre.
Free parking will also be removed from neighbourhoods on the outskirts of of the city centre, with within the A4540 Ring Road.
The council said managing demand for parking relies on four simple tests, which include how many parking spaces are available and for how long, who the parking is available to, and how much will a ticket cost.
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The report added: “Getting the balance right between the four parameters will help to manage demand for parking and, ultimately, management of the demand for travel by car.
“The aim is to introduce a more precise and consistent method of parking demand management, which supports the delivery of this Plan. Managing demand through parking measures is strongly connected to reallocating road space.”
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Councillor Liz Clements, cabinet member for transport, said: “We need to prioritise people and communities over private motor vehicles to make our roads safer and communities healthier, so we have to reduce the number of cars on the road. And let’s not forget that car owners themselves also want clean air and good public transport. There are many ways of getting into the city using buses, trains and trams, as well as walking and cycling for those who can.
“The Clean Air Zone is part of our ongoing efforts to tackle the public health emergency created from the air pollution generated by road traffic. The scheme has helped reduce the percentage of the most polluting vehicles entering the city centre - from 15.2 percent in June 2021 to 5.5 percent in December 2023. At the same time the revenues generated from the scheme are being invested in long term projects that encourage more and more people to use public transport or more active forms of travel.
“For people who need to drive there remains parking provision in the city.”
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