Babergh and Mid Suffolk parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points should increase over coming years as councils approve new strategy

The number of spaces and electric vehicle charge points in Babergh and Mid Suffolk should increase over the coming years, after the district councils approved a new parking strategy.

Meetings of Babergh and Mid Suffolk’s cabinets today saw both agree to the recommendations set out in the joint parking strategy for 2022–2042.

The strategy proposes surveying the level to which car parks are occupied to decide where increased capacity is needed, and starting the planning process for new car park sites when this level reaches 85 per cent.

It picks out Debenham, Eye and Needham Market as locations where increased provision may be needed already – and Stowmarket as an area where it might be required by 2027.

Cllr Jessica Fleming, Conservative cabinet member for the environment at Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “The work put into the strategy is an example of consultation done effectively.

“There is a wealth of information included, which will be drawn upon during implementation.

“We used the most up-to-date department for transport traffic forecasting model to predict need into the future.

“Two sets of online surveys were conducted in Mid Suffolk, and the first generated over one thousand responses.

“We have also delivered a series of roadshows, during which we gained very practical recommendations, particularly on how to support our pubs, shops and businesses. This is so important at the current time.”

The parking strategy will influence a more focused implementation scheme, and officers expect it will be reviewed every three to five years.

Andrew Mellen, leader of Mid Suffolk’s Green and Liberal Democrat Group, welcomed the strategy and called for the implementation scheme to be produced quickly so communities, towns and businesses can be supported.

Cllr Mellen said: “In particular, we need prioritise installing more public charge points for electric vehicles (EVs) if we want to attract visitors to our area, as Mid Suffolk is poorly served with these at present.”

There are currently 20 EV charging points across both district car parks, and the strategy recommends implementing more.

Co-chairs of the overview and scrutiny committee serving both councils – Green Party councillor for Mid Suffolk, Keith Welham, and Independent councillor for Babergh, John Hinton, said: “The joint overview and scrutiny committee welcome this report, although members are concerned about uncertainty; it is difficult to reliably predict car park capacity.

“The data shows that some 40 to 50 per cent of journeys to a car park are 1.5 miles or less. The emphasis in implementation needs to be on trip reduction rather than increasing the number of car parking spaces.”

Robert Lindsay, Green councillor for Babergh and a member of the overview and scrutiny committee, agreed car use should be discouraged, asking: “Why waste our precious limited resources on pouring more concrete for people who are driving less than 1.5 miles?”

To encourage people not to rely on cars, the strategy proposes creating storage facilities for E-scooters at all car parks currently containing bike storage and/or ‘mobility hubs’ – which have facilities for vehicle sharing or alternative travel.

Recommendations in the strategy also include support for car clubs, through which members book to use a car for a limited amount of time. These can encourage people not to own a car, and therefore to use alternative methods such as cycling or walking more regularly. The strategy proposes the council looks into partnering with a car club and providing room in lesser-used car parks for car club cars.

The report also proposes: allowing residents to park in council-owned car parks over night; reviewing parking charges regularly by taking on board equivalent costs in other areas; upgrading pay and display machines; investigating the installation of pay on exit schemes in all suitable car parks, and reviewing local coach parking requirements.

Councillors at the Mid Suffolk cabinet meeting recognised the importance of Suffolk County Council’s role in bringing about the recommendations.

A copy of the approved car parking strategy can be found here: https://baberghmidsuffolk.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=521&MId=3413 (item 8, appendix B).