Parking Charges in Wincanton: Are Fat Council Cats Getting Fatter?

On Monday 16th January a meeting about proposed parking charges was held between Wincanton Town Council and officers from South Somerset District Council; also present were John Smith, chairman of Wincanton Businesses Together (the Chamber of Commerce) and myself in my capacity as a District Councillor for Wincanton.

Four proposals were put forward, three of which were clearly not practical and dismissed. The District Council's preferred option (and the only serious option put forward) is that the people of Wincanton should, in order to keep free parking, compensate the District Council for the parking charges they would like to impose on us. This is despite the opposition of the Town Council and both of Wincanton's District Councillors to parking charges in Market towns, myself included of course. They can do this because the Liberal Democrat regime can rely on their councillors from Yeovil, Crewkerne and Chard to vote to impose the parking charges on us.

But wait a minute, didn't the government's retail guru, Mary Portas, recently report to the coalition government saying that parking charges are one of the primary reasons for town centres failing and suggest they should be avoided at all costs?

And if the Town Council accepts the District Council's proposals the Town Council will have to increase their precept (budget) and increase the rates to cover the payment going to the District Council. This is a cunning way of the District Council getting round Eric Pickle's rates freeze and indirectly raising rates by pushing costs onto the Town Council as they did with the public toilets.

Why should the people of Wincanton, many of whom walk to the town centre, pay higher rates so people from, say, Charlton Musgrove can park free? The cost to Wincanton people, according to SSDC, would be 10p per person per week, or nearly £30,000. It would, in reality, probably be a lot more than they say as indeed the cost of the toilets are.

The Real Reason

The District Council has pressure from Eric Pickle's department to freeze the rates to help people struggling with the recession; the Liberal Democrats are desperate to avoid cutting their pet projects or overpaid senior staff to any serious degree (we are not talking widows and orphans here) so they are revenue-raising through implementing parking charges. This is illegal - charges are only allowed to be implemented for traffic management reasons and the proceeds spent on traffic management.

Their pet projects include £180,000 made available for unsecured loans to gypsies and travellers and over £600,000 for an artificial hockey pitch to be used by an elite minority whilst desecrating Yeovil rec, destroying a rugby pitch and compromising a number of football pitch's among other things.

Also compare the £30,000+ they want to extract from you with the over generous salaries enjoyed by the officers at SSDC.

These salaries are quoted on the District Council's website so I am not breaking any confidences printing them here. I would say the cost of these five (4½ really) employees to you was £489,000 but that does not include employer's National Insurance, costs of offices, use of subsidised canteen and would you believe use of the FREE CAR PARKS at council offices. I also seem to recall an article in the Western Gazette pointing out the above-inflation pay rises enjoyed by senior officers in SSDC in these austere and difficult times for most other people.

I remember Jane Lock and Henry Hobhouse, Lib Dem candidates, promising people during the District Council election campaign that there were no plans for car parking charges in Wincanton and Castle Cary and that Colin Winder and myself were lying by inferring that there were. It is quite obvious now who was misleading the people of Wincanton and Castle Cary. At that time the Lib Dems were proposing free parking for the first hour (to help protect the High Street businesses) and 20p for the next hour with free parking remaining at the Churchfield car park.

The Liberal Democrat regime has now changed its demands and is demanding 60p for the first hour (so presumably to hell with the businesses), 80p for two hours and £1.60 for all day parking, with residents being charged £160.00 for a year's permit (£40.00 per quarter). Full charging would be introduced at Churchfields car park (except for the council's own car park for their staff), all other businesses' staff will have to pay to park their cars.

So to summarise we have Vega Sturgess on an annual salary package of £114,000 coming to Wincanton (and Castle Cary) town councils telling them they must tax Wincanton and Castle Cary people more to subsidise among other things her salary, or face parking charges.

The Answer.

There is no justification for Wincanton people being taxed more to subsidise the Liberal Democrat regime's excessive spending. I would suggest there are many wasteful spending projects that could be cut without affecting the standard of any essential core services and there needs to be some serious pruning of council staff (and I am not talking teachers, nurses, road gritters/sweepers or any other people who provide useful services to the public). There is no justification for this blackmail. South Somerset District Council should get their hand of out of our wallets and put their house in order. The peoples of Wincanton and Castle Cary should fight this injustice with every means possible.

Comments

johnbaxter
Posts: 2

Parking Charges
Reply #1 on : Sat January 21, 2012, 11:50:52

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It is good to see District Councillor Nick Colbert remains opposed in general to the introduction of parking charges in Wincanton.

The Greater Threat
His article however only refers to the parking charges option proposed by the District Council. Their argument is that it costs them to run the car parks and either they continue to do so and impose parking charges , or the Town Council pays them for doing so by increasing the Town Council rate by £5.20 a year. The District Council owns and or controls Churchfields car park by the council offices, the car parks behind the Co-op and the Memorial Hall area car parks. That is not however the only parking charges danger. Why? Because the District Council has no authority to introduce traffic wardens and parking metres onto the streets of Wincanton. That is a power held by the County Council and there is a real danger that they are planning to do this. I note Nick Colbert does not mention that.
Just imagine a traffic warden rushing around earning his wage by handing out on the spot fines for parking on a double yellow line or whenever someone unloads something in the High Street. Imagine also a proliferation of meters in the High Street and up and down adjoining streets. It would make coming into Wincanton and for many living in Wincanton who park on the street by their homes an expensive and miserable experience and would have a catastrophic effect on what is left of our High Street.
What has happened is that the County Council has agreed with the Police to take over responsibility for parking enforcement. If the funding for that comes from parking metres and the fines collected by traffic wardens, the effect on Wincanton will be dire for our struggling local economy. Unlike Yeovil, Chard or Crewkerne we do not have serious congestion problems. (Except outside the Nat West Bank and there are ways that could be sorted out)

Parking Charges. A Way to Raise Revenue?
Why has there been such an increase between the charges the District Council was proposing for parking in its sites and the latest figures? Could it be the District Council sees parking charges as a neat way to raise revenue for purposes other than traffic management at a time when their rates are frozen? Is this perhaps also why the County Council is keen to deploy wardens and meters? Here I am glad to see that Nick Colbert has noted that the law states that doing this to raise general revenue is illegal. Councils may not use money raised in this way for anything other than traffic management.
What is interesting is that we have yet to hear from County Councillor Anna Groskop if she will oppose moves by the County Council to bring meters and wardens to Wincanton.

Choices
If Wincanton Town Council has to choose between letting the District Council impose parking charges on its sites and increasing the local rate initially by £5.20 a year to cover the costs of running the car parks, which should they choose? I would hope they will choose to raise the rate as that would be better for the centre of the town than parking charges which would kill off the Co-op in weeks..
More generally however any possible way of protesting against the way both the County and the District councils may be breaking the law to raise revenue through parking charges should be followed up. We also need our elected representatives and the people of this town to protest loudly and work with others such as Castle Cary to point out to both District and County Council that at a time of economic difficulty council policies should promote local communities and businesses, and not stifle them.

Last Edit: January 21, 2012, 12:02:56 by johnbaxter  

Nick Colbert
Posts: 3

Parking charges
Reply #2 on : Sat January 21, 2012, 13:27:45

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John says I don't mention the County Council. That, as I have explained to him, is because three Conservative County councillors have assured me that their campaign against High Street parking in Market towns like Wincanton and Castle Cary has almost certainly been successful. However nothing is in writing yet so understandably they do not want to go public until it does.

My main concern here is that if the Lib/dems at District level bring in car parking charges it will inevitably lead to dangerous and illegal parking at every available place, side road, and lay by around the town centre. This will lead to the residents screaming for enforcement (traffic wardens)which will cost. The money for this could only be raised by on street parking meters.

That makes it doubly important we fight hard to ensure that the liberal Democrats car park charging is defeated, otherwise every business in the centre of our town will suffer, even ones like Clemintenas who offer their own free parking because they would have a nightmare policing their property.

As I often say about politicians "Why can't they just leave us alone", we like it as it is.

Iain Phillips
Posts: 2

Re: Parking Charges in Wincanton: Are Fat Council Cats Getting Fatter?
Reply #3 on : Sat January 21, 2012, 18:47:25

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Interesting discussion. Shame it has become so party political.

"Their pet projects include £180,000 made available for unsecured loans to gypsies and travellers" - was that comment really necessary??!

"Why should the people of Wincanton, many of whom walk to the town centre, pay higher rates so people from, say, Charlton Musgrove can park free? The cost to Wincanton people, according to SSDC, would be 10p per person per week" - if the people of Wincanton want their town to thrive with the benefits that it will bring to all then it is a very small price that is worth paying.

Last Edit: January 21, 2012, 18:55:42 by Iain Phillips  

Nick Colbert
Posts: 3

Parking charges
Reply #4 on : Sat January 21, 2012, 19:51:48

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Yes Iain, the comment really is necessary because it is not just a comment it is £180,000, that waste of money could be cut, along with officers salaries and other wasteful expense, rather than charge the people of Wincanton more. It shows the District councils priorities, or lack of them.

10p per person per week is is how the council are trying to get it past people who can't do their maths, it is really 10p X 52 X 5100 =

£26,520 per year

for ever more, as a cost to the people of Wincanton, except of course that the council will put it up as soon as possible.

Last Edit: January 21, 2012, 19:53:55 by Nick Colbert  

johnbaxter
Posts: 2

Tme for a Reality Check
Reply #5 on : Sun January 22, 2012, 15:13:34

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I am glad to hear from Nick that three anonymous County Councillors are against the introduction of wardens and meters. I can only recall one being mentioned. We shall see if their views win the day in a County Council scrabbling for funds.

As regards Wincanton it seems we are between a rock and a hard place. The District Council is NOT forcing us to have parking charges. Instead it seems it is giving us a choice. Parking charges on our car parks or an increase in the rate we pay towards our precept to cover the cost of running the car parks.

Nick Colbert seems to think there is a third option. Get the District Council to reduce its running costs either by cutting back on the salaries of its senior officers or cutting back on other programmes. Frankly both these options sound like pie in the sky to me. The senior officers’ salaries are probably guaranteed in their contracts and as for other programmes they may not be what Nick Colbert wants, but if his opinions are in a minority on the District Council it will just be tough.

Nick has one other idea. Attack the District Council (and the County?) for using parking charges as a way to raise revenue for non-traffic management expenditure. This is something which is happening all over the country and is causing widespread anger as District, County and Metropolitan Councils scrabble around for funds in the face of Eric Pickles ban on them raising their rates. Is doing this illegal as Nick claims and even if it is can he get it stopped in time to make any difference to the two options we are faced with here? Again I doubt it.

OPTION A
So what could happen? Option A. The Town Council votes to pay for the car parks. Local rates go up. Some are very annoyed, others hardly notice as the initial charge is apparently £5.40 per annum. Our car parks remain free. Life goes on as normal. Perhaps it will be possible to get a guarantee that further raises in the fee demanded by the District Council for running the car parks is inflation linked.

OPTION B
The Town Council refuses to vote to pay for the car parks out of the precept. The District Council imposes parking fees of 60p per hour etc etc. As Nick suggests instead of using the car parks people crowd out all the streets around causing general chaos. Some nutters even call for the imposition by the County of wardens and parking meters. County is quick to oblige. The Co-Op and most of the shops in the High Street close within a few months. Other local businesses and shops go bust and many properties loose value. The High Street becomes a dead residential area. All shopping is done at the supermarkets and by the new Health Centre. Wincanton becomes a gray dormitory suburb without character. Economically, socially, culturally - Wincanton looses out.

Which choice will our Town Council make? Make sure you go to the meeting on Wednesday 25th 4.30pm at Churchfields.

Iain Phillips
Posts: 2

Re: Parking Charges in Wincanton: Are Fat Council Cats Getting Fatter?
Reply #6 on : Sun January 22, 2012, 20:58:45

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Are unsecured loans given to other people?

I do not understand why paying a decent salary to secure able people to run the councils is viewed as a bad thing

Why is the meeting being held during working hours?

Nick Colbert
Posts: 3

Parking charges
Reply #7 on : Mon January 23, 2012, 13:38:41

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Not generally by Councils, loans are the province of Banks and Building Societies, it is not the job of a District Council to compete with them, the money should be used to mitigate parking charges. The reason official lenders won't lend to gypsys and travellers is the risk factor. It is not the job of the District council to put our money at risk.

No one has an issue with decent salaries, this council pays over generous salaries, and redundancy payments, remember this is the council that paid £1.27 million in golden handshakes to just three of its officers.

Finally , why is the meeting during working hours? The very people whose outrageous salaries you are defending, most of whom work as little as 37 1/2 hours per week with 6 weeks holidays and fantastic pensions think it is an imposition to work out of hours.

Last Edit: January 23, 2012, 13:39:30 by Nick Colbert  

Victor Meldrew
Posts: 1

Re: Parking Charges in Wincanton: Are Fat Council Cats Getting Fatter?
Reply #8 on : Sat January 28, 2012, 16:22:55

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See my comment on the public meeting report.

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