Sutton Council urged to change higher fee parking policy

A south London council has been urged by the government to reconsider its parking policy which the RAC has called "discriminatory".

Liberal Democrat-run Sutton Council increased its car park prices in June for people using machines to pay.

But for those who use an app or automated telephone line, the charges have been frozen.

The council said it was in response to the rising cost of providing the machines.

Following the change, using the council-owned car parks for an hour costs £3 if paid for at a machine but £2 via the RingGo app or phone service.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "This practice unfairly penalises those who choose to pay at parking machines and we ask that Sutton Council reconsiders their policy.

"Councils have a duty to ensure that they do not discriminate in their decision making against older people or those with vulnerabilities."

In April, the department's Secretary of State Michael Gove wrote to councils expressing concern about drivers being "digitally excluded" through parking machines being replaced by apps.

Several councils have introduced parking surcharges for diesel vehicles as part of emissions-based schemes, but several motoring experts were not aware of local authorities previously setting higher prices for cash payments.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said using payment apps was "nothing short of discriminatory".

He added: "It can't be right that those who find themselves in this situation, or who struggle with technology in the first place, end up having to pay more just to park their cars."

Caroline Abrahams, a director at charity Age UK, said the policy "unfairly penalises people who aren't online or who don't have a smartphone".

Barry Lewis, who chairs Sutton Council's environment and sustainable transport committee, said maintaining the cash machines and collecting the money had become increasingly expensive.

"We are encouraging all our residents and visitors to go cashless when paying for parking, with the incentive being a discounted rate," he said.

He added: "Unlike other councils who have completely removed the option for people to pay by cash, residents and visitors to Sutton still have the option to pay by cash at our parking machines."

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