Protesters call for parking charges investigation
5:02pm Wednesday 14th May 2008
Comments (2)CRITICS of Hambleton District Council's plans to bring in car parking charges want the motives behind the scheme investigated.
More than 40 business owners in Thirsk have written to the council's standards committee about the scheme, calling for a full investigation into the authority's handling of the issue.
Jonathan Roberts, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Thirsk and Malton, has led the traders.
He said: "We understand that the council has run out of money, and that it needs to find a way of raising some revenue.
"But we need to know that these charges, which could potentially be so destructive for our town, are not being brought in on a whim.
"I am hoping that the council can offer evidence of a significant attempt to avoid car parking charges.
"If there has been no serious effort to find an alternative, however, people in Thirsk will justifiably feel angry."
Coun Peter Sowray, chairman of the standards committee in 2007-8, said he would take advice.
He said: "I have received the letters from the residents.
"I would have to take legal advice from the council's head of legal services, Martyn Richards, about whether it should be looked at.
"Personally, I am fairly sure that the council has gone into this thoroughly."
Coun Brian Phillips, deputy leader of the council, said: "I think Mr Roberts is clutching at straws.
"We are happy that the council has done everything correctly over this and there's no issue for the standards committee.
"It was a Labour Government, Mr Roberts' party, which capped the council so it could not raise council tax levels enough, leading to the charges."
Your Say YourDarlington and Stockton Times
martin, Stokesley says...
12:19pm Fri 16 May 08
This Jonathan Roberts is in the paper almost every week campaigning against the charges and seems to be doing a good job. By the way, I'm a tory voter and even I know this is the council's fault, not the Governments.
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anon, anon says...
10:40am Thu 15 May 08
These charges won't be destructive for the towns. The thing that will be destructive is the fact that there aren't any decent shops in these towns and good shopping centres such as Darlington, Middlesbrough and York are all just a short journey away.