We need common sense when it comes to parking. When Regency Brighton was created there was no such thing as a car. There were only a handful of them in late Victorian and Edwardian times, and that sums up the construction period of most of central Brighton & Hove.
There is, of course, nowhere near enough kerb space for every house to have a car. But now, almost every dwelling has been converted into flats, so there is even less kerb space per dwelling. Car ownership has soared in the past 30 years. Our roads were laid out at the same time as the rest of the town and there's a mathematical limit to their capacity. Tinkering with oneway systems increases the capacity but it wrecks the quality of the space for people.
Amazingly, the Tories can't do these simple sums. Labour has kept all the Tories barking traffic schemes, added a few bus lanes and cycle lanes that lead nowhere and cause accidents, and then tried to concrete over part of Patcham as a park and ride site. The results of this are there for all to see �" massive pollution (over EU limits), long queues and unhappy residents. And just when you thought things couldn't get worse, Labour now proposes huge new parking zones, so our streets will become a warren of cars seeking parking spaces.
While the LibDems dither as usual, the Greens propose what is the sensible solution: we need far less dependence on individual car ownership. Just like central London or Amsterdam or Venice. We need more and cheaper buses, an express transit system (maybe buses), easy, reliable and fast rail links to nearby towns, actual joined-up cycle lanes, cheaper cabs, rickshaws, a discount for home delivery, free parking for electric cars, free parking for pool cars, a parking discount (whether you park or not) which will encourage people who have a car to save money by not using it.
Kerb space should be for residents and local businesses that need loading facilities first and visitors second. There should, however, be an exception for longer-stay hotel guests, many of whom stay in independent and locally-owned LGBT-run hotels. Other visitors should travel in by non-car means or park off-street.
All of these measures will increase kerb spaces and make life easier for people who actually live here. Central areas, including St James's Street, should be pedestrianised as much as possible, while allowing bus and local traffic to flow close by.
| NIMROD PING trained as an architect and is a former Labour Councillor. He is now a Green Party activist and student (again). |
