THE PLACING of the borough’s public notices in publications other than The Wokingham Paper was raised by Cllr Prue Bray during the Executive meeting of Wokingham Borough Council, held on February 22.
The Wokingham Paper was the only media present to report on the meeting.
She wanted to know why a notice relating to car parking charging changes had been published two weeks ahead of the decision being discussed by the Executive.
“I am not objecting to the proposals [to shake-up the car park charging regime] but I am concerned that by advertising without waiting for a formal decision, the council has not followed the correct process or its own constitution.
“Will you undertake to make sure that in future the council follows the correct statutory procedure for giving notice of highways and parking charges?”
READ MORE: Council plans to raise car parking charges from March (our original story)
Cllr Keith Baker, Executive Member for Highways and Transport, said that the placing of the public notice was “premature”.
“Please accept my apology for any confusion that this has caused,” he said, adding that following its publication and The Wokingham Paper’s subsequent news story on the plans, “it has given us an insight of residents’ views”.
In her follow-up question, Cllr Bray wanted to know why a publication other than the borough’s dedicated newspaper – The Wokingham Paper – had been used.
“I can’t,” said Cllr Baker when asked to explain the decision.
Cllr John Halsall asked a question over the timescale for the changes, saying that the evening charges has seen parking “spilled over into every available nook and cranny” in Wargrave.
Cllr Baker said that “there is a statutory minimum advertisement period of 21 days post the decision and ‘call-in’ period. The new charges … are planned to commence on April 2 for a one-year trial period.”
During a discussion on the plans, the Executive voted unanimously to approve the trial, which will see evening and Sunday charges abolished, while daytime rates will increase by 10p for the first hour.
