Free car parking for councillors? It stinks!
Stockport Express
6th September 06
COUNCIL leaders have been accused of trying to give themselves free parking perks - at the expense of Stockport taxpayers.
Stockport’s Tory leader, councillor Les Jones, says he is appalled at the Liberal-Democrat run council executive’s attempts to grant its ten members free parking - in all of the borough’s 107 residential schemes - when residents will be expected to pay in future.
Under the controversial plans, residents will be charged £60-per-car every year to park in a single scheme.
Coun Jones said: "My (Conservative) group is absolutely appalled at the audacity of the executive members.
"Council taxpayers are expected to pay money and they will be given free parking - come on. Put kindly, it stinks.
"It is bad enough that residents are having to pay for parking close to their homes, but to have exceptions is totally unacceptable."
The council is currently running a public consultation on a pilot for the proposed parking scheme - in the area around Stepping Hill Hospital.
If the scheme is given the go-ahead the council claims the £60-per-year charge would just cover the cost of enforcement and signage.
But Coun Jones believes the charge is excessive and claims there are ulterior ‘under-handed’ reasons for the large fee.
Coun Jones said: "If it was a reasonable amount of money and you, and you only, were able to park there it would be reasonable.
"But it is too much. It is a way of raising money and controlling traffic on the road. It is underhanded."
However, Stockport’s transport chief has rejected Coun Jones’s accusations and claims there is nothing underhanded in the proposals.
Coun Dave Goddard, executive member for transport, said: "Free parking for executive members was not in the original proposals but was included after consultation with the area committees.
"It was felt that the councillors needed permits to carry out council business in their areas and that executive members’ remit was far wider."
He added: "The £60 is neither excessive nor underhanded.
"It is purely to control the scheme and will only apply in any area where lives are being made a misery.
"No one wants to pay for something that has been free, but those people who cannot park near their houses are more likely to want it."
The council is currently waiting on the results of the Stepping Hill consultation and will start the job of analysing all the results next week.
The responsibility for enforcing residential parking schemes was recently past to local authorities after it was decriminalised by Greater Manchester Police.
Peter Devine
6th September 06
COUNCIL leaders have been accused of trying to give themselves free parking perks - at the expense of Stockport taxpayers.
Stockport’s Tory leader, councillor Les Jones, says he is appalled at the Liberal-Democrat run council executive’s attempts to grant its ten members free parking - in all of the borough’s 107 residential schemes - when residents will be expected to pay in future.
Under the controversial plans, residents will be charged £60-per-car every year to park in a single scheme.
Coun Jones said: "My (Conservative) group is absolutely appalled at the audacity of the executive members.
"Council taxpayers are expected to pay money and they will be given free parking - come on. Put kindly, it stinks.
"It is bad enough that residents are having to pay for parking close to their homes, but to have exceptions is totally unacceptable."
The council is currently running a public consultation on a pilot for the proposed parking scheme - in the area around Stepping Hill Hospital.
If the scheme is given the go-ahead the council claims the £60-per-year charge would just cover the cost of enforcement and signage.
But Coun Jones believes the charge is excessive and claims there are ulterior ‘under-handed’ reasons for the large fee.
Coun Jones said: "If it was a reasonable amount of money and you, and you only, were able to park there it would be reasonable.
"But it is too much. It is a way of raising money and controlling traffic on the road. It is underhanded."
However, Stockport’s transport chief has rejected Coun Jones’s accusations and claims there is nothing underhanded in the proposals.
Coun Dave Goddard, executive member for transport, said: "Free parking for executive members was not in the original proposals but was included after consultation with the area committees.
"It was felt that the councillors needed permits to carry out council business in their areas and that executive members’ remit was far wider."
He added: "The £60 is neither excessive nor underhanded.
"It is purely to control the scheme and will only apply in any area where lives are being made a misery.
"No one wants to pay for something that has been free, but those people who cannot park near their houses are more likely to want it."
The council is currently waiting on the results of the Stepping Hill consultation and will start the job of analysing all the results next week.
The responsibility for enforcing residential parking schemes was recently past to local authorities after it was decriminalised by Greater Manchester Police.
Peter Devine
posted by Neil Herron at 10:05 AM
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