MP CRITICISES COUNCIL OVER PERMIT PLANS
HE CALLS IT ‘TERRIBLE SCHEME THAT WILL HURT BUSINESSES’
A LEICESTERSHIRE MP has slammed Oadby and Wigston Borough Council for their latest proposals for parking charges in the area.
Following a recent consultation, the council announced proposals to introduce parking charges as well as a permit costing between £50 to £150 for car park users, likely £75 for local residents.
The controversial plans sparked backlash among locals who feared it would turn the area into a “ghost town”.
Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, has criticised the move saying the council has “wasted over £10 million in the last 10 years through mismanagement”.
He said: “First we had a consultation that was tucked away on the council’s website, with nothing other than a few posters on lampposts to raise awareness, and now we have this terrible scheme that will inevitably hurt local businesses across Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston.
“The council have wasted over £10 million in the last 10 years through their mismanagement, and now they want residents and businesses to foot the bill through these parking charges that will inevitably hit retailers.
“They are introducing parking charges, but attempting to put a cynical positive spin on this by announcing a permit – though with this costing between £50 £150 for shoppers, it is really not going to appeal to anyone and people will see through this.
“To add insult to injury, their own councillors aren’t even going to vote on these proposals – despite the fact that it breaks their main manifesto pledge to maintain free parking.
“It’s a backroom deal cooked up by a council that has wasted £10 million of public money in 10 years and people deserve better. Local councillors were elected with a promise of free parking, and it is imperative that such a big change across the borough is voted on by those democratically elected councillors now.”
The leader of the council, John Boyce, previously responded to concerns raised by residents, saying the move is necessary to survive financially. Mr Boyce said: “We received lots of excellent responses to the consultation and have been able to make amendments that address as many of these concerns as possible.
“The concerns are understandable, but the fact remains that the council cannot sustain a £282,000 yearly loss and it’d be financially irresponsible to our communities for us to continue in that way.
“Our revised scheme means that local people can buy permits that reward them for visiting our town centres and car parks regularly.”
However, the leader of the opposition at Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, Coun Priti Joshi, has agreed with Mr O’Brien and calls the plans “a poor idea”.
She added: “Residents and businesses were clear during the consultation and in correspondence to me, this would impact traders at the worst possible time as they seek to rebuild after the pandemic.
“These permits are a poor idea and could punish households with more than one car. One household with two cars could be spending up to £300 on parking, it is ridiculous.
“Clearly the council needs to raise revenue having wasted so much money over the last 10 years, but attacking our retailers and businesses as they try to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic is not the way to do this, and I would urge them to reconsider this decision.”