The TDC Conservative Group
welcomes the council’s review of parking policy across Thanet which follows our
call for a review of Labour’s parking chaos.
Our previous press release is reproduced below:
Time to review Labour’s parking chaos
The Conservative Group at
Thanet District Council is calling for an immediate review of parking fees and
practices by the District Council.
Conservative Group leader,
Cllr Bob Bayford stated:
‘Parking across the district
is becoming one of the most frequent complaints from traders, residents, and
visitors. The review we started last
autumn aimed simply to introduce a better scheme whereby all paid for the time
they used (called linear parking); and local residents were aware where there
were cheaper or, on Saturdays, free deals available to encourage trade in our
high streets. When Labour assumed control, they took this idea and distorted it
with political goals, ensuring that some areas were treated better than others,
for example where they were dependent on independents to keep control of the
council.’
Cllr Chris Wells, who drew
up the principles of the original parking review added:
“The end result is that the
30% rise in on street parking fees in our high streets is killing rather than
helping businesses, who are furious that 30p in every £ their customers put in
parking meters represents a political bribe to keep a minority Labour
administration in power. A minority
administration that has extended the charging time the public pay to park by
45%; and then quietly extended the opening hours of the Mill Lane car park in
Margate, so Councillors and officers attending evening council meetings, do not
have to pay the extra fees they have inflicted on the public.”
Cllr Bob Bayford concluded: ‘This administration claims to be
transparent and listening – so now they need to listen, admit they have got it
wrong and review again, this time making all the details public. Whatever your maths, an extended charging
time of 45%; with on street parking up by 30%; can never mean an overall rise
of 4% without something strange happening to the fees parkers pay.’
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