Parking permit row blazes
Adam Hewitt • Published 6 May 2010 10:00
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VOTERS were bombarded with claims and counter-claims about lies over changes to residents' parking charges ahead of today's (Thursday's) local elections.
Labour has denied it is planning to almost double the cost of a second permit to £100 and has been stuffing leaflets through doors accusing the Tories and Lib Dems of being ready to force motorists to pay for first permits, which are currently free.
These claims, linked to the cross-party plans to merge the 52 permit zones into 12 super-zones and to stop drivers with off-road parking getting a free permit, have been slammed as "lies" by both opposition parties.
One Labour leaflet circulating in Abbey ward says: "Reading's Tory and Lib Dem councillors are planning changes to the current residents' parking scheme that would involve charging for the first (now free) permit, and opening up all areas of exclusive resident's parking in Abbey Ward to shared use with non-permit holders at all times of the day."
Tory transport spokesman Richard Willis pledged last week that his party would not charge for first permits and Lib Dem Cllr Warren Swaine said the same. Cllr Swaine said this week: "It just shows how increasingly desperate Labour are. They are just making stuff up."
The Chronicle reported last week on Tory claims that Labour has plans to nearly double the cost of a second permit to £100, based on leaked documents.
Cllr Page told The Chronicle last week that the £100 figure was public knowledge, but said this week: "At our meeting on January 25, the Labour Group firmly rejected the officers' proposal for a £100 charge for second permits. The Labour Group decided instead that, for the public consultation to be carried out over the summer, a sliding scale should be based around the current charge of £55 for second permits, with discounts offered for low emission vehicles.
"It's been Reading's Labour council that has promoted and extended residents' parking schemes over many years, and any changes will be made only after full consultation with local residents."
He added: "And I would challenge Reading's Tories further to stop pretending there's unlimited parking available for all residents, stop deliberately misleading people, and for once come clean about your own proposals."
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