A senior councillor has pledged to look at the high cost of parking for NHS hospital staff and said that his party had already take action since winning office.
Labour councillor Trevor Muten said that the previous Green administration planned to increase parking charges around the Royal Sussex County Hospital but his party overturned the proposals.
And since then, he said, the Labour administration had set up a city-wide parking review to make sure that Brighton and Hove City Council’s charges were simpler and fairer.
He was responding to a public question from Kemp Town resident Robert Brown who said that many who worked long shifts at the Royal Sussex could not afford to live in Brighton because of high rents.
Mr Brown, who has twice stood in local elections for the Liberal Democrats, asked what could be done to help low-paid key workers who were paying £50 a week for parking.
He said: “They are having to drive in from nearly villages and neighbouring towns at various times due to their shifts which often do not align with regular early (or) late bus routes.
“There is no affordable parking for them to access on site. Liberal Democrats believe that more needs to be done to support those who are working not just in our hospitals, yet other vital services such as home visit care workers, emergency workers across the board and others.”
At Hove Town Hall, Councillor Muten agreed that there was more to do to support hospital workers and carers.
At a meeting of the full council on Thursday 19 December, Councillor Muten said that when Labour took over, they inherited a proposal for big increases in parking charges near the Royal Sussex.
He said that the cost of an hour’s parking was due to go up from £1.40 to £5.60 and the cost of 11 hours from £7.60 to £22.70.
He said that the planned increases were horrid and regressive and targeted key wotkers.
Councillor Muten, the cabinet member responsible for transport and parking, said that the council provided hundreds of concessionary parking permits to carers and doctors but the number might not be enough. The city-wide parking review would look at this as well as at charges.
He said: “On-street parking restrictions in these areas are generally from 9am to 8pm. Out of hours shifts will only require parking fees for these hours.
“While we have good public transport, we recognise there is more to do for our key workers, especially those working in hospitals who often work long shifts on low pay.
“This is why Councillor (Tristram) Burden and the chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board Bruno De Oliveira are always liaising with myself and Councillor (Gill) Williams to get a better deal for key workers on both parking and housing.
“We work as very close partners with our NHS – and Labour is always working hard to make this partnership deliver the best for our residents.
“As a progressive Labour administration, we are committed to the council’s transport team working with NHS staff representatives and others to explore options and implement parking solutions, including parking permits for essential workers.
“We are on the side of low-paid key workers.”