The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Councillors walk away after failed parking bid
Call for suspension or review of charging scheme ruled incompetent
Angus opposition councillors have walked away from a group being set up to tweak the area’s parking charges scheme after failing in a bid to force an immediate suspension of the controversial system.
The authority’s SNP group has said it will not participate in the member officer body being set up to look at possible changes including cash or voucher payments because it does not believe the plans go far enough.
In a rancorous Forfar meeting, opposition calls for a suspension or review of the scheme and an annual permit cut from £260 to £65 were ruled incompetent by the communities committee chairman.
Council leader David Fairweather told opposition rivals: “Don’t live in cloud cuckoo land. This will get our businesses and our people back in our car parks again.”
Brechin SNP councillor Kenny Braes said: “Our shops are going bust while you are doing nothing and you want to drag us into your pathetic silliness of scratchcards and whatever else.”
Moves to immediately suspend Angus car parking charges and slash the annual permit cost from £260 to £65 have been blocked.
The proposals were among a package of amendments which opposition SNP councillors had planned to put forward during a communities committee meeting in Forfar to discuss tweaks to the controversial scheme.
A member/officer group will now press on with proposals to look into the introduction of cash payment meters or a voucher scheme, alongside direct debit permit payment options.
But the authority’s SNP group has said it will not participate after condemning the plans for not going far enough.
Their attempt to force a charges moratorium while a comprehensive review of the controversial two-monthold scheme is carried out was deemed incompetent by committee convener and Montrose independent councillor Mark Salmond.
Montrose SNP councillor Bill Duff likened the planned changes to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
The scheme has been plagued by protests since its November 1 introduction at 33 off-street car parks across the district.
Mr Duff forecast the system, brought in to make £700,000 per annum for the under-pressure authority, could lose almost £125,000 in a year.
“When in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging. Angus Council is in that hole and the administration should stop digging,” he said.
Brechin and Edzell SNP colleague Kenny Braes told administration rivals: “Our shops are going bust and you are doing nothing.
“It’s turned into an utter mess and you want to drag us into it with your pathetic silliness of scratch cards and whatever else.”
Carnoustie independent David Cheape, who conducted a survey of businesses which revealed disastrous trade losses, said: “There has been a complete lack of cognisance of the financial and economic impact on our already fragile local businesses. Not one has recorded a positive impact.”
Council leader and Arbroath independent David Fairweather told the committee: “Don’t live in cloud cuckoo land.
“Let’s back this. It’s the motion that will start to get our businesses and people parking in our car parks again.”
Angus Provost Ronnie Proctor said he had been subjected to “intimidating and bullying emails” over the parking issue.
Urging the opposition to participate in the member/officer group, which will report back within weeks, he said: “Let’s get this sorted out, it is something we have got to do, to work together as team Angus Council to get it done.”
It’s turned into an utter mess and you want to drag us into it with your pathetic silliness of scratch cards and whatever else. COUNCILLOR KENNY BRAES