Suffolk Coastal District Council has agreed to launch a formal consultation on its car parking shake-up

A CONTROVERSIAL shake-up of car parking in Suffolk Coastal has moved a step closer - but bosses did agree to make concessions to the original proposals.

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Members of the district council’s cabinet last night pledged to push ahead with a formal consultation.

The proposals include a rise in fees in town centre car parks and an end to free parking for disabled drivers, although they would get double the time paid for.

The changes would affect Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Leiston, Woodbridge, Saxmundham and Wickham Market.

The cabinet also agreed to start consulting on the possibility of charging for parking in Framlingham’s The Elms and Fore Street car parks from April 2013.

However members did make changes to their proposals in response to the results of an informal consultation.

This included cutting some of the planned increases in car parks, reducing revenue by £51,000.

They also agreed to explore alternative methods for charging disabled drivers so those who had difficulty would not have to access ticket machines.

Meanwhile a proposal to remove 19 free half hour spaces in Crescent Road and Highfield Road car parks in Felixstowe was scrapped.

Councillors raised concerns about the effect such a move would have on town centre retailers and it was agreed to look at this again when the state of the country’s economy was clearer.

Councillor Doreen Savage said: “I’m pleased to see the original proposed tariff for half hour and one hour charges has come down from the proposed 20p increases. This is far more acceptable to the public. I know they don’t want any [increases] at all but that doesn’t seem to be an option. At least it does show willing that we have listened to some of the concerns that have been raised.”

She said she did have reservations over the changes for disabled drivers and was worried that people may struggle to access the car parks.

Councillor Andy Smith said: “I think we all have reservations. The reason why disabled people have concessions is to do with difficulty of access and not financial resources.”

As a result it was agreed that councillor Andrew Nunn, who has responsibility for car parking, would explore alternative methods for charging disabled drivers.

Ray Herring, leader of Suffolk Coastal and chairman of the cabinet, said: “We haven’t increased town centre tariffs since 2006.

“I do think the consultation responses show people realise we have difficult decisions to make and I hope the few changes we have made have reflected the fact that we are concerned about the town centre economy.”

The district council hope the changes will increase revenue by £432,460.

The shake-up will also see a discount for beach hut owners removed, the Station Road car park in Woodbridge extended and a firmer stance on appeals against excess charge notices.

The results of the formal consultation will be discussed in the New Year and if agreed the changes could be introduced in March or April.

N Members also agreed to adopt the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), which outlines how flood and erosion risk should be tackled along the Suffolk coast.

Councillors decided to restrict discussion to just those parts of the plan that affected their district and not neighbouring Waveney, which is set to look at the proposals next week.

Following assurances that the SMP was not set in stone and that it would be subject to regular reviews to allow flexibility for unforeseen circumstances the plan was adopted for the Suffolk Coastal part of the shoreline.