'Stop penalising the average person... how do you expect people to pay for it?'
A planned huge rise in the cost of residents' parking permits in Bury has been met with a fierce backlash. There are currently around 1,500 such permits issued every every year in the town.
The schemes operate in streets close to town centres, around hospitals and near to Metrolink stops. The areas allow people who live in these streets to park close to their homes by restricting parking to permit holders only.
Residents can apply for permits for their own vehicles and for visitors. There current annual charge is £35 for a permit generating an income of £65,000. However, the council plans to increase that to £45, a 28 per cent hike –saying it's needed to ease 'financial pressures'.
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The council said the proposed uplift in cost would still be lower than two other councils in Greater Manchester. A new charge of £25 would be introduced for first visitor permits, which are currently free.
The council said the change would generate an additional £125,000 of annual income. The cost of second visitor passes, currently £35, would also increase to £45.
A post signalling the new charges and asking for views was published on Facebook by the council. In the comments the increase in charges has met with almost universal negativity.
One comment, said: 'Another scheme where the council act like they are doing you a service. Yet it's a scheme to get money for parking on a road you've already paid road tax for.'
Another poster said: 'How about households are allowed permits but you stop charging them for parking on their own streets. Stop penalising the average person.'
Another Facebook comment on Bury Council's page said: 'Huge rents and massive council tax rises over last few years. People choosing between food and heating. Massive rise in uniform costs for children. Schools constantly changing their uniform. Now this. How do you expect people to pay for it?'
A Bury Council spokesperson said: 'We have reviewed how other councils charge, and we are looking to review how we manage and issue visitor permits. This will generate additional income which will help support our financial pressures.
'It will also bring us into line with other councils when it comes to visitor permits. We recognise that some of the visitor permits will be aligned to health and social support for our residents.
'There are no proposals to change the current process where free permits can be provided where eligible.'
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