OT: A sensible parking policy. Happy note to Orford, Suffolk.

Very sensible, I have used it for some years now.

I haven't use cash since the Covid lockdown.

It seems to be pot luck what 'app' is required. And if reception is poor, then forget it.

In this case, I would have used a card, which had been available when the meter was built, but the council could not be a****d to manage it. All in the pursuit of better serving the customer, of course.

Yes. Its boloney.

It just costs less to squeeze more

I have just read this on the Council website:

"All East Suffolk Council off street car parks are equipped with at least one coin operated payment machine. From March 2026, all our car parks will also offer convenient contactless card payment." So they saw the error of their ways, and/or enough people complained.

A win!

Statements of intent seldom match the desired outcome Like T Bliar;s statement that all people with degrees earned more so paying £20k for a degree in advanced aromatherapy would be a gateway to a life of affluent suburban bliss.

just wait...

Although it has to be said that there is an aroma of faint common sense in Suffolk, overall.

It saves money, all councils need to save money.

Well if they dropped net zero initiatives, LBGTQ initiatives, DEI initiatives, and other politically inspired bollocks, they might not need to...

Well Reform claim to be doing that in Durham, cancelled support for the Durham Pride event, but guess what, council tax still rises they say :-

"This consists entirely of a social care precept increase, "

.....

I need cash to get my hair cut

Durham’s 1.99% increase stands out against a national backdrop where 125 of

Durham chose to freeze the core council tax charge entirely and apply only the social care precept uplift.”

HTH

That is probably true: mandatory social care is a huge fraction of council spending

And it's a central government mandate, and the funding should come entirely from general taxation. A council's job is maintaining the infrastructure of its fiefdom and where necessary, assisting with housing its own taxpayers' families.

If a central government chooses to dump a large pile of cost in a particular area, the residents of that area should not have to fund it. And I seem to recall that a phrase justifying the creation of a central government welfare state was 'cradle to grave care'. Not 'as long as you're economically useful'.

Saves /who/ money? To pay by app I have to buy a mobile phone, pay for a monthly contract to use it, and then have to pay for the parking on top! With a credit/debit card or cash there's no surcharge.

On 15/08/2026 11:44, The Natural Philosopher wrote: parks will also offer convenient contactless card payment."

A "degree in advanced aromatherapy". ROTFLMAO!

Saves the council money of course. Since computers were invented tasks have been moved down the line to the consumer, it's part of that trend.

I cut my own hair, this IS a DIY group after all :-)

How is the app use paid for? I haven't got one on my mobile so I've no idea how it's used.

You have to have an account with the company, then your charges are added to your running total. I was able to get a RingCo account which doesn't need an 'app', I can use Text messaging. I have never used it, but it's good to have, and I still don't need a 'smart' 'phone.

Snap. No app just an account. You can call the number on the notice board for the car park, the company recognises your registered phone number and asks for a 6 digit number that identifies the car park. It then states the registration number of the vehicle and time and date and starts charging your registered credit card. Works like a dream and no app faffing.

And there's often a 'convenience fee'.