Councillor Eric Buckmaster brands planned parking fees increase in Sawbridgeworth ‘profiteering’

One of Sawbridgeworth’s three district councillors has branded plans to raise short-stay parking charges in the town by up to 55% as “potential profiteering”.

Cllr Eric Buckmaster was responding to plans by East Herts Council – on which he represents the town with his wife, Cllr Ruth Buckmaster, and Cllr Angus Parsad-Wyatt – for increases at Bell Street car park, where the biggest hike will be in the tariff for up to two hours, rising 50p (55%) from 90p to £1.40.

“The times when I imagine a large proportion of residents use the car park – up to two hours – has increased by 55%,” said Cllr Buckmaster, who is also a county councillor and town councillor.

“It strikes me as potential profiteering, so at committee I asked to see the calculations of relative costs for the proposed changes for each time band to sense check the fairness of the proposals.”

The other proposed changes to charges in Bell Street car park would be: up to 1hr – up 20p (40%) from 50p to 70p; 3hrs – up 60p (40%) from £1.50 to £2.10; 4hrs – up 70p (33%) from £2.10 to £2.80; 5hrs – up 40p (12%) from £3.10 to £3.50.

The charge for up to 30 minutes remains free and the all-day tariff (up to 11 hours) is reduced by £1.10 (20.75%) from £5.30 to £4.20.

Cllr Buckmaster said his understanding was the changes would need to go to public consultation.

He added there were some good points in the plans, with the retention of the free 30 minutes and no charge for weekends.

Previous plans to change parking charges in Sawbridgeworth have met with protests. In October 2022 a move to end free parking at the weekend was scrapped after a backlash, which then mayor Cllr Greg Rattey said was a victory for local democracy.