VISITORS to the Lickey Hills could soon have to pay for parking as part of revenue boosting measures for the debt ridden Birmingham City Council.
Despite a 2023 consultation ruling out parking charges at Lickey Hills Country Park, the council seems likely to u-turn and charge visitors £5 for all day parking. Disabled users will not be affected.
The proposed charges will also include a £2.20 fee for up to 2 hours and £3.30 for up to 4 hours, with the council stating the fees will ‘provide a sustainable revenue stream to fund and maintain the park’.
A quarterly review of the new parking fees would be implemented, with the first pricing assessment taking place in July. Season tickets will be available for the car park, with an expected annual cost of £52.
In the council’s equality impact assessment for the new measures, users of the nearby Old Rose and Crown pub and Lickey Hills Golf Course will be impacted as the parking facilities serving both businesses is ‘within the project scope’.
Anecdotal evidence from the assessment, which draws from similar concerns surrounding the implementation of fees at Cannon Hill Park in 2017, states low income, single parent and elderly visitors will be adversely impacted.
Sheldon Country Park and Sutton Park will also see parking charges introduced under the proposals. A date for the charge introduction has not been established.
Previous plans to implement parking charging at the Lickey Hills have been refused following consultation, in both 2019 and 2023.
Birmingham City Council have confirmed a consultation on the proposals will take place soon, with no date yet confirmed.
Email [email protected] to tell us what you think about the new parking fees.
