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Economic Development

Birmingham councillors grumble over loss of free parking

City's leaders will no longer be able to use underground car park from next year to make way for Paradise Circus development project

Birmingham City Council

are grumbling after being forced to give up their exclusive underground car park and use a public multi-storey several hundred yards away.

For years, the city's leaders, including MPs, councillors and some senior staff, have enjoyed the use of 100 free spaces accessed via a ramp on Edmund Street behind the Council House.

The free parking is extended to about 70 Honorary Aldermen, the title given to long-serving ex-councillors, as a perk-for-life worth an estimated £2,000 per year.

But, from January, the cavernous car park will be converted into a plant room servicing new office blocks due to replace the old Central Library as part of the development. It is being handed to developers on a long lease.

As an alternative, councillors are being given the use of 120 free spaces at the Paradise Circus Car Park behind the new Library of Birmingham, but rank and file councillors are privately complaining at having to trudge further to get to their offices and attend meetings.

One backbencher grumbled: "Not only are we parking much further away, we will have to walk through a building site to get to meetings."

Only council cabinet members, political group leaders, committee chairmen and disabled staff are able to park in the Council House courtyard.

The Birmingham Post understands, unofficially, that a number have made applications for disabled parking spaces in the Council House courtyard to avoid the walk - but the council would not comment on this.