Sutton Park, Lickey Hills and Sheldon Country Park to get parking charges despite backlash - changes explained

Under the proposals, visitors to Sutton Park, Lickey Hills Country Park, and Sheldon Country Park would be charged to park their vehicles — a shift away from the current free access that has long been valued by residents and visitors alike.

Council aims to plug financial gap amid ongoing crisis

The proposals come as the financially troubled local authority continues to grapple with deep cuts and revenue-raising pressures. Earlier this year, the council passed a challenging budget which included sweeping service reductions and another year of council tax rises.

The idea of charging for parking at the three “destination parks” has proven especially divisive, drawing strong opposition from the public. According to a newly published council report, a clear majority of consultation responses rejected the move:

• At Lickey Hills, 78.4% (919 respondents) wanted parking to remain free
• At Sheldon Country Park, 65.9% (120 respondents) shared the same view
• At Sutton Park, 68.2% (2,741 respondents) opposed charges

Council insists charges are now the ‘norm’ at top park sites

Despite the backlash, Birmingham’s Labour-led cabinet is preparing to endorse the scheme, albeit with some adjustments to the originally proposed tariffs.

Officials argue that fees are increasingly common at other popular UK parks and would help cover the growing cost of upkeep.

“The introduction of parking charges is often controversial and unpopular,” the report acknowledges, “as users are asked to pay for something that has previously been free. However, the projected income… still falls short of the cost of maintaining the three parks.”

The report continues: “Introducing charges on Birmingham’s sites will be in line with national best practice to offset the cost of maintaining these destination sites.”

The council also said there was more support for revised, lower parking fees, with stakeholders warning that the original charges could harm businesses operating within the parks.

New parking charges in full

Both the original and revised proposed charges for each of the parks can be found below:

Sutton Park:

Original proposals:

• £2.20 for up to 2 hours, £3.30 for 2 to 4 hours, £5.00 all day
• Cost of annual parking permit price to be determined
• Chargeable hours of 9am to 6pm, 365 days a year

Revised proposals:

• £1 per hour up to 4 hours, £5.00 all day
• £52 per annum
• No change to chargeable hours (9am to 6pm, 365 days a year); a 30 minute ‘grace’ period is proposed in addition

Lickey Hills Country Park:

Original proposals:

• £2.20 for up to 2 hours, £3.30 for 2 to 4 hours, £5.00 all day
• Cost of annual parking permit price to be determined
• Chargeable hours of 9am to 6pm, 365 days a year

Revised proposals:

• £1 per hour up to 4 hours, £5.00 all day
• £52 per annum
• No change to chargeable hours (9am to 6pm, 365 days a year); a 30 minute ‘grace’ period is proposed in addition

Sheldon Country Park:

Original proposals:

• £2.20 for up to 2 hours, £3.30 for 2 to 4 hours, £5.00 all day
• Cost of annual parking permit price to be determined
• Chargeable hours of 9am to 6pm, 365 days a year

Revised proposals:

• £0.75 per hour up to 3 hours, £3.50 all day
• £52 per annum
• No change to chargeable hours (9am to 6pm, 365 days a year); a 30 minute ‘grace’ period is proposed in addition

Free permits for volunteers and changes to enforcement

Council cabinet members will consider the next steps at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. Among the recommendations are plans to:

• Approve revised parking charges at the three sites
• Introduce free parking permits for park volunteers
• Delegate the final decisions for Sutton Park and Sheldon Country Park to the relevant cabinet member, following completion of the formal Traffic Regulation Order process
• Introduce enforcement and charging at Lickey Hills via private parking arrangements

‘We need to consider every income opportunity’

Council leader John Cotton acknowledged in an earlier interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the decision may prove unpopular but said the council must explore all options.

“It’s important we look at all options for raising income,” he said. “I know sometimes these things can be unpopular and create challenges. But I think we’ve also got a responsibility to look at every opportunity we have to generate income to bring the budget back into balance.”

Cabinet member for environment and transport, Coun Majid Mahmood, previously defended the charges by highlighting the value of Birmingham’s green spaces.

“Birmingham has fantastic parks across the city, with great facilities,” he said. “But we need to be able to maintain them for the benefit of everyone.”

• Background: financial struggles continue at Birmingham City Council

The decision comes against a backdrop of ongoing turmoil for the local authority. External auditors have recently flagged a series of serious financial issues, including unresolved equal pay liabilities, service delivery failures, and a costly IT system implementation.

Labour politicians have consistently pointed to over a decade of central government funding cuts as a root cause of the council’s predicament.

Public feedback on the charging proposals is now being considered ahead of the cabinet decision — but unless the council changes course, paid parking at three of Birmingham’s best-loved green spaces looks set to become a reality.