In defending the charge – which works out at £200 more than initially estimated – the president of the Environment and Public Services Committee, Deputy Maurice Dubras, told the States that it compared favourably to commercial parking rates in town which can be as high as £2,500 per annum.He was replying to questions from St Helier Deputy Ben Fox about the scheme which has been on trial in the Stopford Road area for the past year.It has provided privileged parking for 172 residents at an estimated loss of car parking revenue of £72,000 plus the cost of policing the scheme, which Deputy Dubras said had fallen largely to Public Services.
Despite this, Deputy Dubras said, his committee had decided to make the scheme permanent, and to consider implementing it in other areas as well as urban parishes.The trial charge for residents was £150, which was subsidised by Public Services.
Deputy Dubras said this cannot continue and the scheme must be totally self-financing.
Residents had been informed, he added, that the true cost would be phased in by May 2004.
