Parking charges to go up by 5%

Thursday 29 March 2018

Car park charges are going up by 4p an hour (5%) to cover both inflation, and the fact that the States are now being asked to pay parish rates.

The island's politicians backed a move by the St. Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft to stop the States being exempt from paying rates on public buildings.

Rates will also need to be paid on States-owned car parks too, which is estimated to cost up to £200,000 – around 3% of the income generated from parking charges.  

Ultimately it will be islanders who pay as parking charges are going up by double the amount they did last year, from 78p per unit to 82p per unit, partly to accommodate the extra costs.

That 5.15% parking charge rise is made up of 3% for parish rates and 2.15% inflation – which the States originally estimated to increase at a higher rate of 2.5%.

Pictured: Parking charges are used to maintain the island's car parks, including Minden Place which has just had a major refurbishment. 

The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel said: “This is a bigger increase than usual because we have had to pass on the rates cost. We have, however, not passed on the full cost of inflation.”

The Infrastructure Department confirmed the parking charge increase will also fund sustainable transport and road safety initiatives. 

The parishes are free to use the cheques they receive from the States rate payments, which ranged from £2,756 in St. Mary to £642,130 in St. Helier to benefit the community.