The 2024/5 Budget included proposals to introduce charges in three of Birmingham’s parks: Lickey Hills Country Park, Sheldon Country Park and Sutton Park.
This budget assumes delivery in July 2025 and the MTFP includes this budget assumption. The implementation of these schemes has met with delay therefore the income of £381k will be achieved through the implementation of these charges in 2026-27 onwards.
Cabinet approved the use of £981k of capital contingencies to progress the schemes on 13th May 2025.
Within the aforementioned approval, Cabinet delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport to proceed with the Sheldon Country Park scheme following completion of the formal TRO process (Minute number 3.7 refers (Cabinet report, “Outcome from informal consultations on proposed parking charges in parks and proposal to progress formal Traffic Regulation Orders (Off-street Parking Places Orders”) approved 13th May)).
The overall approach is to ask Park users to contribute towards the costs of maintaining these parks and green spaces through paying for parking.
Informal consultation for the proposed charging scheme took place between 15th November and 6th December 2024. The findings from the informal consultation indicated reduced parking charges were preferable (and may lessen the impact of potential displacement parking), a 30 minute grace period of free parking was preferred (to allow parents to drop off/pick up children from the groups that operate within the park) and that volunteers who assist with the upkeep of the park should receive free parking permits.
In accordance with the Council’s approach to introducing Traffic Regulation Orders (Off Street Parking Places Orders), formal consultation for the Sheldon Country Park scheme was undertaken between 1st and 29th August 2025, seeking views of park visitors, residents, stakeholders and ward members. The TRO process allows for formal objections to be raised and a report detailing the objections (and the Council’s responses) can be found in Appendix A (Sheldon Country Park objection report). In line with the feedback from the informal consultation we have amended and improved the scheme from the original proposals.
As part of the formal consultation for Sheldon Country Park we also sought views on a separate (but linked) prohibition of waiting TRO for Ragley Drive (carriageway into the park). The proposed TRO is based on feedback from previous consultation exercises which highlighted concerns over the displacement parking that currently occurs along the carriageway and poses a significant health and safety risk for pedestrians. A report detailing the objections (and the Council’s responses) can be found in Appendix B (Ragley Drive objection report).
As the aforementioned Cabinet approval did not make reference to the prohibition of waiting TRO for Ragley Drive, this will progress through the usual governance channels for a new TRO. A delegated authority report has therefore been prepared for consideration and final decision.
Parking restrictions introduced on roads surrounding the park as part of the proposed scheme will be subject to a separate statutory consultation, and follow the process set out above i.e. objection report for consideration and final decision.
This report gives effect to the prior Cabinet decision about the charging scheme for Sheldon Country Park following the public consultation.