Cash must come from somewhere

I refer to Terry Hudson’s letter in which he rails against increased council charges for parking [Letters, Gazette, November 12]. These increases are in respect of council-owned off-street parking places.

Mr Hudson quotes the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the correct statement that councils “should never use parking charges just to raise revenue or as a local tax” and indeed any income from such charges is carefully accounted for and has to go back into the costs of traffic management, reducing congestion and enforcement. Where Mr Hudson is mistaken is that these rules apply only to charges arising from parking on the highway and do not apply

to council-owned car parks. What people fail to realise is that the approximate £5 weekly per household from the council tax that goes into Canterbury City Council’s coffers would not even pay for the bins to be emptied on a purely commercial basis and the money for this, for clearing litter, dealing with fly tipping, managing our open spaces and so on has to come from somewhere. Of course, it could be an increase in council tax but we all have to live somewhere. Transportation involves a far greater degree of choice and whether we walk, cycle, take public transport, a taxi or contribute to pollution levels in our towns and cities with a petrol or diesel motor car remains very much an option for most of us. Cllr Ashley Clark

Canterbury City Councillor for Seasalter.

Lead Councillor for Enforcement and Open Spaces