Shepway Parking Strategy In Shreds in Tory v Tory Feud

2.14.45pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Oct 2008

Cllr Tim Prater: If thousands have been spent on getting a parking scheme together without a proper agreement in place with Kent County Council in advance, I assume we will see the resignation of the Cabinet members who approved that expenditure

Shepway's parking strategy where parking permit areas were to be introduced initially in central Folkestone and then across Cheriton, East Folkestone, Hythe and the rest of Shepway could be doomed. In a recent Shepway Council Scrutiny meeting, Conservative Shepway Finance Chief David Monk revealed that in recent discussion, Kent County Council had said that they would seek to take all income from parking charges, which would mean the scheme could not be introduced.

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater chairs the Scrutiny Committee where the revelation was made. Tim commented:

"This news is extraordinary. Shepway's Conservatives have spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers money on consultants for this project, put in many hours of time and pushed through an unpopular scheme to charge residents £25 per car to park where it is currently free.

"To now find that the entire scheme, and all money spent on it, is in jeopardy because Kent County Council want all income is incredible. Did Conservative Shepway Council really have no agreement in place with Conservative Kent Council before committing money on this project? How much time and money would have been wasted if the plan is now shelved?

"The Liberal Democrats on Shepway Council oppose the charging of local residents for parking permits for at least the first car - there are plenty of other schemes with other councils around that don't charge local residents for permits. We were consistently told this scheme was not about the money - but it seems that just wasn't true.

"If thousands have been spent on getting a scheme together without a proper agreement in place with Kent County Council in advance, I assume we will see the resignation of the Cabinet members who approved that expenditure."