Conservative Councillors have criticised the Labour administration of Milton Keynes City Council for rejecting the opportunity to review the decision to double Central Milton Keynes parking charges.
The decision, which was originally taken on 26th November, doubles the cost of the two-hour minimum stay in standard parking from £1 to £2, increases the price of premium parking for minimum stay of 1 hour from £2 to £2.50 and hikes E1 Employee Permit prices to a £3 daily rate and £2 for 5 hours. The decision also implements a new £675 CMK residents parking permit.
This is the second year in a row that residents have seen an increase in parking costs, last November the Labour-Lib Dem led Council doubled the minimum stay on standard parking to two hours thus doubling the minimum spend from 50p to £1.
At the decision call-in meeting yesterday (Tuesday 17th December), Conservative Group Leader Cllr Shazna Muzammil and Deputy Leader Cllr Peter Geary urged the Labour Cabinet member to take back this decision, highlighting how this increase will detriment local business owners and risk driving customers, especially those who use click and collect services, to alternative shopping destinations such as MK1 and Bedford where parking is free.
The Conservative Councillors also gathered nearly 1,000 signatures from residents and businesses for their petition opposing the parking fee increases.
Cllr Muzammil and Geary were supported at the meeting by numerous residents and local business owners. A local medical student, who is based at MKUH, asked the Cabinet member to consider how the implementation of the new £675 CMK residents permit will place further strain on those who are already struggling to afford to live and work in central Milton Keynes. Further, a local business owner spoke of his concerns that this decision will impact customer footfall and questioned why the Labour administration had not consulted with small business owners in central Milton Keynes before implementing such decisions.
The Labour administration’s justification for this price increase was to incentivise public transport use however, the Conservative Councillors raised that the Cabinet member had failed to provide any evidence or conduct a pilot scheme to support their reasoning.
“This decision is based on hope, not data,” said Cllr Muzammil. “Labour did not produce evidence to show that increasing parking charges will result in a shift to public transport, nor did they consult residents or businesses.”
Despite the residents’ testimonies and a lack of evidence to support their claims on moving people to buses, the Labour Cabinet Member, supported by the Leader of the Council and Labour Committee members, claimed that the Conservative Councillors had provided no evidence to merit reviewing the decision and dismissed the call in, choosing to move forward with the car parking price increase.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil said:
“This decision is nothing short of an attack on Milton Keynes residents and businesses. Doubling parking charges will discourage people from shopping in our city centre, hurt small businesses, and force workers to bear even higher costs. Labour’s refusal to review this flawed decision shows how out of touch they are with the community they claim to serve.”
Cllr Peter Geary added:
“Residents and businesses have made their feelings clear. Over 900 people have signed our petition calling on Labour to stop these punitive increases. Sadly, Labour ignored them. This policy is short-sighted and risks driving people away from Central Milton Keynes. The Labour administration must listen to residents, not punish them.”
Cllr Muzammil continued:
“Labour’s defence to our arguments— CMK footfall has increased, and parking surpluses are up —ignored the struggles faced by small businesses, shared workspaces, and hospitality venues outside the city’s core. Their argument that city centre residents can walk to amenities failed to consider those working outside CMK who rely on affordable parking.
Whilst frustrated at Labour’s decision to continue with the parking charges increase, I’m proud of our work advocating for our residents, business owners and shoppers. Their support, whether that be in person at the meeting or on our petition, shows the strength of our community.
The Conservative Group stands firm in its commitment to advocating for Milton Keynes residents and businesses. We will continue to hold the Labour administration to account and engage meaningfully with the community to find solutions that balance revenue generation with affordability and fairness, ensuring that no one is left behind in the decisions that shape our city.”
