Sandwell beauty spot parking charge plan scrapped

Plans to charge drivers to park at beauty spots and attractions in the Black Country have been scrapped days after being unveiled.

Sandwell Council's leader has intervened to pull the plug on proposals to charge £1 at car parks for Sandwell Valley park and farm, Dartmouth Park, Forge Mill Farm and Swan Pool.

It comes as it emerges the idea would have resulted in residents in surrounding streets being made to have a permit to park outside their own homes, amid concerns that drivers would try to avoid paying the fees.

The suggestion to end free parking is still on the agenda for a council meeting on Thursday but is to be withdrawn.

The council would have forked out £165,000 on the scheme, including pay and display machines and signs, but would have expected to rake in £181,000 a year.

A council report on the plan also revealed 'up to £25,000 may be required in 2015/16 for the implementation of residents parking schemes to manage displaced parking issues'.

West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson had called for the council to extend its consultation, accusing it of having inadequately informed residents of the impact of the money-making plans.

And today Councillor Darren Cooper, leader of the council, said he was pulling the plug.

He said: "What was not in our report was that we would have scrapped the entry fee for the farm.

"But I have asked for this report to be withdrawn from the meeting as I do not believe it is right to hit drivers with these charges. They will not go ahead.

"We've put a lot of effort and money into these attractions and that's paid off because they are growing in popularity.

"There is an issue with traffic management that still needs to be addressed because the car parks get very full. But I don't think charges are the way to go.

"We want people to carry on using these places. For someone on a fixed income, who visits regularly, the charges can mount up.

"From time to time we may get things wrong and when we do, we need to have a re-think."

Under the proposals, people would have been able to park at the beauty spots for up to seven hours for £1 – but not return for three hours after they had left.