Over the past few months, the Lib Dems have been painting a narrative that Wokingham Borough Council faces financial ruin unless they make savage cuts.
At times they have misled you, saying that council tax collected here will be reallocated elsewhere in the country. That is absolutely not the case.
Last week, the first inklings of next year’s budget for Wokingham appeared.
Among the bad news is a proposal to introduce parking charges at School Green in Shinfield, and Avery Corner in Finchampstead. These are two small car parks that have serve village communities. Fees will target those attending toddler groups, youth clubs, or taking their family to the School Green cinema – the very people this Labour government are trying to help.
That’s on top of a planned above inflationary rise for car parking across the borough: up 18% in country parks. They would also change the nighttime start time from 6pm to 8pm. That will hit residents attending choirs, book groups and other evening activities.
Sadly, this isn’t a surprise. In March, councillors debated a petition that Wokingham Labour councillors had organised. In just one weekend, more than 2,000 people signed – concerned at plans to introduce charging to parks used for recreation, including Cantley in Wokingham and Ashenbury in Woodley, and these smaller car parks.
Your voice couldn’t have been clearer.
The strength of feeling was heard, and Labour’s campaigning secured a commitment to find alternatives at Cantley. But the Lib Dems would only agree to a stay of execution for the other car parks.
Six months later and, after committing to keeping the car parks free, the Lib Dems want to ask residents to open their wallets and purses for more. They may claim this is just a proposal, but they have asked officers to devote time and effort into costing up plans, working out if it’s viable, and what the income levels could be.
The Lib Dems who run West Berkshire Council did similar last year, putting meters into car parks that can only be accessed by driving, effectively taxing a walk in the countryside.
It is disappointing that after voting to protect these smaller car parks, including Avery Corner and School Green, Wokingham’s Lib Dems are changing tack. And it is you that will suffer.
There will be knock-on effects to local businesses as well. If free parking is ended, particularly in my ward, people will switch to other car parks. In Shinfield, the importance of the well-used School Green community centre means parking will shift to the Bell & Bottle – a much-loved pub, the Lidl supermarket, and anti-social parking on roads, street corners and by driveways.
There are positive steps that could be taken at School Green car park: residents would welcome restrictions on the number of hours, with traffic wardens visiting to enforce the rules. This will get around people who abuse the parking spaces especially those who use it as a storage area.
We know this because residents tell us when we talk to them on the doorstep.
We know that they will be angry at having to fight again to keep these community car parks free to use months after winning an agreement to protect them.
We know how much this means to people, particularly at a time when they are being asked to pay more for everything thanks to 14 years of Conservative mismanagement.
By floating these plans now, the Lib Dems are again showing us that they think you are their cash cow. You deserve better.
Andrew Gray is a Labour councillor for Shinfield ward on Wokingham Borough Council
