Island residents and businesses who have unauthorised access to their properties across council car parks are being asked to pay an annual fee to continue their use.
To create a standardised and fair approach they will be asked to sign licence agreements to carry on, with residents paying an annual charge of £100 to £200 and businesses of £200 to £1,000. Charging a fee for access is a usual commercial practice.
An audit of 75 council car parks has revealed that around 200 properties have created or inherited a pedestrian or vehicle access which doesn’t have lawful consent. In some cases there have been health and safety concerns.
The new annual fees won’t apply to those properties that have an established legal right to access council land. There are also some properties which already have a formal agreements and are paying.
“This move is about being safe, fair and consistent on behalf of all Island residents and council tax payers. It will ensure that those who have given themselves or inherited unauthorised access across council car parks will pay a fair contribution,” said deputy council leader, Councillor Stuart Hutchinson.
“We will deal with this issue fairly and properly and if an access is no longer needed or used it will be sealed and no charge applied. We will help with payment terms for those who find difficulty in an advance payment.”
Letters are this month being sent to all affected properties notifying them of the new arrangement and what they will need to do to maintain access.
The new access licences will be valid for 3 years, with the fee payable annually in advance. The fee will be based on an independent valuation, and will depend on whether it is residential or commercial and vehicular or pedestrian.
If a property is sold, the new owner will need a new licence.
