Camden New Journal - News: Builders' permits costs rise

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Camden New Journal - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 20 March 2008

Builders’ permits costs rise

BUILDING work is likely to get more expensive after the council revealed plans to increase the cost of traders’ parking permits.
From April, a permit for builders with vans to parked outside homes will be £33. Previously there were three bands ranging from just £8 a day through to £25.
The increase has been greeted with anger by those in the building trade and home owners.
Adam Leys, who lives in Kentish Town, has been planning major works to his Victorian house, but is now faced with the prospect of a bill more than £1,000 higher than he originally anticipated.
He said: “It was £15 as day – now it’s over twice that. If the work takes six weeks, we are talking about a serious increase in cost to my project.”
The Town Hall say the changes could turn out cheaper for some builders if they go to more than one job each day, as the blanket permit will cover all of Camden.
But self-employed builder Mark McCallum, who lives in Kentish Town, said: “We found this out by accident and no one has asked if this will make things better for us. It is a nightmare to park round here anyway – these charges simply make our job more expensive.”
A council spokesman said: “Parking permit charges have remained the same for the past three years and were considerably less than some of our neighbouring boroughs.
“For traders who work on numerous sites throughout the day, the £33 universal day charge will prove far more cost effective than paying separate tariffs in different areas.”

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