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A PETITION to stop planned increases in car parking charges across Wokingham has been launched by the Wokingham Conservatives.
It comes in response to a decision by Wokingham Borough Council’s executive at a meeting on Thursday, September 29, to implement the rises from January 2023.
The proposal will see Wokingham town centre car parks rise more than the rest of the borough, with some more than double the current rate.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Wokingham Conservative group, said: “We want the executive to reconsider its decision.
“We want business to increase and prosper in the borough and raising parking charges will not help.
“The Conservatives decided against increasing parking charges because they will be counterproductive for businesses in the area.”
At the executive meeting, Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways, said the fees had to increase as income was between £600,000 and £800,000 below forecast, with usage below pre-pandemic levels.
Cllr Jorgensen is concerned the decision won’t have the desired effect of plugging the financial gap.
“There is no guarantee it has a positive impact on the budget,” she said.
“It may knock the income as people choose to shop elsewhere and that results in a fall in revenue.
“There are other places to look for funds as part of budget scrutiny which is taking place currently.”
So far the petition has received more than 1,000 signatures and will be presented to the council at a meeting on Thursday, October 20.
Cllr Jorgensen has a message for businesses and residents who are discontent with the rises.
She said: “My message to businesses is we, the Conservatives, are on your side.
“And to residents who are struggling or are frustrated by the rises, we share your concerns too.”
Cllr Fishwick believes the amended proposal for two parking zones in the borough represents “the best possible compromise” between residents’ concerns and the need to make up the budget deficit.
He said: “We’ve always known that raising parking fees wouldn’t be popular, as this would be the first time in almost five years and small increases in the past would have lessened the impact now.
“However, we’re facing our worst financial pressures in decades. We have to find a way to continue maintaining our highways to the current standard – and without affecting the critical services that our more vulnerable residents rely on.”
“We’re aware that our neighbouring authorities are also raising or considering raising their off-street car parking charges and, even with our proposed increases, ours will still be similar to other councils in the region and cheaper than some car parks in neighbouring authorities even before their increases.”
Cllr Andy Croy, Labour councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates, has criticised the Conservatives’ petition, describing it as “shallow opportunism”.
He said: “Wokingham Conservatives are asking for the council to implement a local version of Trussanomics – where the money to pay for services magically appears from nowhere.
“In effect they are asking for the council, ravaged by years of underfunding from their government, to find an extra £700,000 of cuts on top of the £3.3 million of cuts that will be needed for the council to balance the books over the next two years.
“Having to explain to Conservative councillors that the books must be balanced is not something I was expecting to have to do this year.”
Cllr Croy believes the previous Conservative administration decided to “kick the can down the road” rather than address the shortfall in revenue.
He said: “The Conservatives were planning to introduce a similar scheme at the start of the year but they pulled it from their budget, even though they knew this hole in the budget existed.
“They chose to kick the can down the road , to the other side of the local elections. It was a short term political decision to fix a long term financial problem.
“They simply cannot be trusted to manage public finances – either in Wokingham Borough or nationally.”
Cllr Croy said he understands the fears of traders and concerns of residents and would like to see all councillors working together to champion Wokingham and its businesses.
He said: “At this time, councillors have a responsibility to talk up our town centres, not spread doom and gloom and discourage people from visiting them.”
