Liberal Democrats say "NO" to parking proposals

7.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Mar 2006

Lib Dem leader Cllr David Tutt

Eastbourne Liberal Democrats are calling upon the ruling Tory Group on the Borough Council to end the "farcical" parking consultation exercise and scrap their "Pay to Park" plans.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader David Tutt explained "We expressed a number of concerns at the start of this exercise, namely: that the proposed charge for residents of £25 for the first car had been set to entice people into the scheme and would soon increase to the £70 level charged in neighbouring towns. We were also worried about vehicles parking just outside of the zone preventing people from parking near to their homes and the fact that the consultation was limited to a relatively small part of the town, we believe that everyone should have been given the opportunity to express their views." Despite these reservations we said that we would listen to the views of local residents and support their wishes. It is now clear that they are overwhelmingly opposed to these plans and we are therefore calling upon the Tories to end this now".

Devonshire's Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Beryl Healy added "people have told me that they were not even allowed to offer their views at the public exhibitions and believe that the Tories have made up their minds to go ahead with the scheme whatever people think".

Should this scheme be adopted against the will of local people the Liberal Democrats would scrap it, if there was a change of control at the Town Hall in May.