Matt Rodda, Labour’s candidate for Katesgrove, has called on the Tories and LibDems to shelve plans to fine residents of the ward £60 for parking outside their own homes - until there has been a full public consultation.
Mr Rodda sats Katesgrove suffers from some of the worst shortages of parking in Reading, and has strongly criticised the plans to impose sweeping fines for parking on the kerb in the area without consultation.
“It is wrong and unfair for Conservative and Lib Dem councillors to impose these fines without consultation. There may be a small number of roads where vehicles obstructing the pavement are an issue but this needs to be solved in consultation with residents.
“This measure appears to be a money-raising scheme and it is particularly galling that it is being imposed by councillors whose colleagues in Whitehall, probably this week, will be cutting the Government grant to Reading.
“Why should people who happen to live on roads where there are parking problems be singled out to make up for funding cuts?”
Editors’ notes
- The fines are due to apply in February across Reading, other than to streets where the council decides to make an exemption
- The fines appear to be a blatant attempt to tax drivers to help make up for Government cuts in the council’s grant, which helps pay for local services along with the council tax.
- Papers for the November 1st borough council cabinet committee meeting identified the reason for the fines. They said: “steps have been discussed and agreed with lead councillors to address the shortfall in income be refocusing the contract and extending the scope of parking charging to cover verge and footway parking” (pD27).
- Guidance published by the Department for Transport says that the Secretary of State “expects local authorities considering major changes to their parking policies to consult fully with…those who will be affected, including residents, motorists and the general public” but the Coalition apparently intends to brush that aside.
|
