Wokingham Borough Council’s Liberal Democrat leadership have started listening to Conservative councillors about their ludicrous parking charges policy. Whilst it’s not quite a damascene conversion, and might have taken about two-and-a-half years, there are the first green shoots of common sense just poking out with the end of proposals to charge at Cantley Park.
One of the first actions of the Liberal Democrats was to double charges for parking in Council owned car parks. Without the votes of the Lib Dems’ coalition partners, Labour, this wouldn’t have happened.
Charging hours were also significantly increased in the mornings and late evenings, and charging was introduced on Sundays. Conservative councillors brought the voices of residents and local businesses to the Council, where we listened to their anger and concern. They spoke to the cost of parking for shop workers, unpaid volunteers in charity shops and customers.
To the total dismay of local businesses, the Liberal Democrat/Labour coalition went ahead hiking charges despite a petition signed by over 4,200 residents calling for the increases to be dropped. The Executive Member of Finance’s response when businesses complained? “I am afraid that for some it is too easy to blame Wokingham Borough Council if they have a problem.”
During a process to scrutinise the Liberal Democrats’ upcoming budget plans, the administration had proposed to introduce parking charges at Cantley Park in Wokingham and other cark parks that are currently free to use. This week, they announced plans had been dropped at Cantley. Instead, the Council’s Leader wants to try asking local organisations what they think. However, proposals to charge at other places including in Shinfield, Finchampstead, and Ashenbury Park car park in Woodley still remain. Where new charges are detrimental to residents and businesses the administration should look to other options.
Wokingham residents were last week treated to one day of free parking for Lunar New Year. This is from the same Council that subsidised free bus travel to take shoppers out of the Borough at Christmas.
The Executive Member promoting this announcement said “we remain committed to supporting businesses in our towns. We hope offering free parking will provide a boost to the local economy and support stallholders.” It’s tin-eared to say you are supporting local businesses after you’re repeatedly clobbered them, and it beggars belief the Liberal Democrats are yet to realise the logical conclusion: massive hikes in parking charges are bad for the local economy.
Whilst the end of plans to charge for parking at Cantley Park is good news, despite us calling for the Liberal Democrat administrations to re-think, the cost of parking is set to increase again for the third year in town centre car parks. In this year’s Budget the cost of parking in Wokingham town is set to increase by an inflation busting 7%. In other parts of the Borough such as Woodley cost of a one-hour stay is increasing by 9%.
Wokingham Borough Conservatives have been clear from the start – massive increases in parking charges are not good for residents or local businesses. Council owned car parks that currently don’t charge should remain free. We know this is what residents want. You can be assured that in the Conservatives, someone is listening.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen is leader of Wokingham Conservatives
