North Norfolk Labour party members protesting, about car parking hikes, at North Norfolk District Council offices. Conservative party Councillor Keith Johnson (right) talking to the protesters. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Battle to overturn car parking hike across north Norfolk lost - as council also votes not to fund Weybourne cable appeal

By edp reporters Wednesday, February 22, 2012
10:50 PM

A last ditch effort from campaigners to get controversial hikes to parking charges across north Norfolk thrown out has been lost after finance chiefs rubber stamped their budget.

The increase, which formed part of North Norfolk District Council’s 2012/13 budget, was branded “incredibly stupid” but nodded through by a majority vote at tonight’s full meeting.

Another fight was also lost at the heated meeting after a plea for the authority to set aside £100,000 to fight a major planning appeal, which would help pave the way for a huge offshore windfarm, was turned down.

Councillors voted not to dip into their reserves to fund the planning battle against Warwick Energy, after its plans to lay underground cables from Weybourne to Great Ryburgh were thrown out last month.

Before the meeting began members of the North Norfolk Labour party demonstrated against the parking charges outside the council offices, and asked members to reject the budget and “let sense prevail”.

Residents also pleaded with members to throw out the fee increase, which they argued were damaging to businesses, workers and students.

Speaking in the meeting Gloria Lisher, from Fakenham, urged them to “reconsider their budget” adding: “This is the big society speaking and we expect you to hear and act on what they have to say.”

Nick Lee, vice chair of North Walsham chamber of commerce, presented a petition signed by more than 1,300 people opposing the changes, and said they would have a “detrimental” impact.

Their comments were echoed by several councillors, including Graham Jones who described the charges as a “stealth tax”.

“This is an incredibly stupid thing to do when families across north Norfolk are struggling too with the financial down turn,” he added.

“Businesses have made it clear from Mundesley to Fakenham that they’re going to be effected by it, students will be effected, in fact virtually every member of this community are going to have money extracted from their wallets.”

Members of the ruling Conservative party argued the charges had been agreed in December as part of the council’s savings package and could not be revisited, and pushed through the vote to approve the budget.

But leader Helen Eales did offer an olive branch to opponents after she revealed the issue of free car parking in North Walsham in Fakenham - set to be scrapped when the hike is introduced in April - would be discussed again by the council’s cabinet in the next few weeks.

She also proposed not to set aside the six-figure sum needed to appoint a panel of experts to defend the council at Warwick’s appeal, saying a 2.5pc increase in council tax would effectively be needed to pay the expensive legal bill.

She added: “Therefore we will have to ask some serious questions about whether spending £100,000 represents the best use of tax payer money in these austere times. I regretfully propose that the council does not make available the funds to defend this appeal.”

Michael Baker, who led the call to throw out the cable plans at January’s planning meeting, was incensed by the proposal and thought it was “disgraceful” the council was prepared to give democracy away “for a few silver coins”.

“We can’t possibly go back to our constituents and say ‘to uphold democracy it might cost you two pence on your rates’,” he added.

Mr Jones also warned not fighting the council’s corner could set a precedent for future planning battles. But after a debate Mrs Eales’ motion was passed meaning the plans will now go back before the planning committee.

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41 comments

Hugh, your inability to differentiate between the needs and issues of rural areas as opposed to urban areas pretty much sums up North Norfolk Tories.

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Callum Ringer

Sunday, February 26, 2012
Callum, You can compare parking policy in an urban area like Preston, to the rural NNDC, you just don't want to! as it will not support your claims or the veiws.

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Hugh

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Callum, You can compare parking policy in an urban area like Preston, to the rural NNDC, you just don't want to! as it will not support your claims or the veiws.

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Hugh

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Hugh, had you taken the time to read and understand the Labour policy you would have seen that the cost of parking would be significantly cheaper in the winter months, paid for by only a modest increase when the car parks are at their busiest. You cannot compare parking policy is an urban area like Preston, to the rural NNDC.

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Callum Ringer

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Peter Watson, Your right "The good people of North Norfolk do have a clear policy choice between Labour and Tory parties", so Peter how many people in North Norfolk do you think will be happy to pay £6 per hour, just to park their car? thats the fee, the good people of Preston pay with a Labour controled Council.

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Hugh

Saturday, February 25, 2012
That's a shame Callum and of course much of the damage that is predicted by business and the Labour Party will have happened by then.The people of Lewes,West Sussex,not notorious as the centre of the anti capitalist movement,have decided to smash their meters up which of course is against the law but indicates just how parking issues are at the forefront of local government policy and how much heat they generate.

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Peter Watson

Friday, February 24, 2012
Peter Watson, that is very true. It's just a shame that there is no NNDC election until 2015

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Callum Ringer

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hugh's obviously not accustomed to democracy.The good people of North Norfolk now have a clear policy choice between Labour and Tory parties and it is the people who will decide which is best for their particular town.

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Peter Watson

Thursday, February 23, 2012
after i park i often walk miles round my chosen area.i am lucky to be able to walk and not be wheelchair bound. i prefer cheap or free parking.all this hiking the car parks is daft.Politicians caught the idea from places like Cornwall.

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bookworm

Thursday, February 23, 2012
thanks for telling me who HUGH is. i assume HUGH wants to keep the area nice and exclusive by hiking charges up?all the fees add up.not nice.

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bookworm

Thursday, February 23, 2012
no he is from the north norfolk tories ! they are in cuckoo land if they think everyone is happy with this stealth tax

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Double Bill

Thursday, February 23, 2012
i don't like hughs remark about people must walk everywhere.must be a liberal???patronising.

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bookworm

Thursday, February 23, 2012
who is this HUGH?a politician?price rises are never good unless you don't like tourists coming to your town.

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bookworm

Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Tory parking plan. Reported in the EDP on 24th November 2011, passed through the cabinet meetings on 28th November 2011. Did they have any plans to listen to concerns?

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Jono Read

Thursday, February 23, 2012
It is clear that the development committee did not see the Irony of turning down buried cables on landscape grounds. And Hugh, that is a completely ridiculous. That's it encourage people from Isolated rural villages to walk to town. Well done. Some villages have no bus, are many miles from a town, and we cannot expect our elderly, disabled or young to have to walk a 12+mile round trip just to get to the shop, to collect a prescription, to get to college or work.

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Callum Ringer

Thursday, February 23, 2012
The "Tory parking plan", could be seen as being environmentaly friendly, it might encourage a number of the local people to walk into town, instead of driving, which would help to reduce pollution and may encourage them to take some much needed exercise, which would be beneficial not only to their own health, but to our NHS as well.

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Hugh

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Again - same old "on yer bike mate" Tory. Let's not try to twist this into some kind of 'green policy' at the same time as the county council are allowing bus services to be cut. Also Hugh, how many people signed a petition that they are "happy to pay more"?

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Sam Rushworth

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Am I missing the point somewhere here? The council has decided not to fight their decision in the appeal by Warwick over the wind farm cable route? There wouldn't BE an appeal had they not made the (usual) idiotic decision to not allow it in the first place. In the long catalogue of foolish decisions this one must be colse to the top. And now WE are having to pay, or not in this case, for the stupidity of the decision.

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Ian

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Am I missing the point somewhere here? The council has decided not to fight their decision in the appeal by Warwick over the wind farm cable route? There wouldn't BE an appeal had they not made the (usual) idiotic decision to not allow it in the first place. In the long catalogue of foolish decisions this one must be colse to the top. And now WE are having to pay, or not in this case, for the stupidity of the decision.

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Ian

Thursday, February 23, 2012
The "Tory parking plan", could be seen as being environmentaly friendly, it might encourage a number of the local people to walk into town, instead of driving, which would help to reduce pollution and may encourage them to take some much needed exercise, which would be beneficial not only to their own health, but to our NHS as well.

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Hugh

Thursday, February 23, 2012
So there you have it folks - Hugh, a senior Sheringham Tory thinks people in North Norfolk are happy to pay increased parking charges. Nevermind that the chambers of trade presented a 1300 name petition (it's a petition not a referendum Hugh), they town and parish councils, community groups, headmasters, churches, residents and three other political parties have opposed the plans, Hugh thinks people are happy with them. How absolutely out of touch with public opinion can you be? Out of touch nationally on the NHS, out of touch locally on parking charges. I you don't mind being quoted on future election material in Sheringham to see if the public agree with your assertion that they are happy with a policy that is bad for business, bad for residents and bad for communities.

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Sam Rushworth

Thursday, February 23, 2012
A distinct lack of conversation over the Tory parking plan. The Tory leader said she would like to discuss Labour's plans - but would not meet when asked. The chamber of trades, college headteachers and principals, churches, local businesses, residents, and community groups have all offered their views but why was no action taken by Helen Eales? Even our Parish Councils - the people at the heart of our towns - had to learn of the news through the newspapers and were not officially asked for input.

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Jono Read

Thursday, February 23, 2012
what makes you think i believe it should be for " every issue " ? what other issue have i mentioned ? the conservatives publicised their plan one thursday at the end of november and by monday it had been approved at cabinet !

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Double Bill

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Double Bill, Are you suggesting that NNDC should hold a consultation on every issue that comes before the them? if so, are you going to pay for the consultations?

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Hugh

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Double Bill, Are you suggesting that NNDC should hold a consultation on every issue that comes before the them? if so, are you going to pay for the consultations?

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Hugh

Thursday, February 23, 2012
we already get visitors blocking entrances to drives blocking the roads and parking 20 mins walk away from the beach so i suppose this will mean even more illegal stupid parking in the village ???? and a half empty car park where is the sense!!!! ????

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stephen watson

Thursday, February 23, 2012
what consultation did your party do to find this out hugh ?

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Double Bill

Thursday, February 23, 2012
"Not my words Carol, the words of Top Gear magazine".

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ds99

Thursday, February 23, 2012
"Not my words Carol, the words of Top Gear magazine".

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ds99

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Calm down Callum! as I said most people in North Norfolk, are more than happy to paid a bit more to park their cars. The fight for the Upcher in Sherigham is NOT yet over, you may be wise to wait and see whats happen, there is a press release coming soon!!

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Hugh

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Population of North Walsham*

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Callum Ringer

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hugh, That information was in the article. Had you bothered to absorb it you will realise that, 1,300 people is a sizable proportion of the population. Also, Hugh. Still happy with what your party are doing with area partnerships? Didn't see a petition with so many signatures against those not receiving funding, so, obviously people are not too bothered. Yet you continue to rebel. Get with it Hugh. If you are so confident what people in North Norfolk think, why don't you stand for election?

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Callum Ringer

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Double Bill, How many people are on the Electoral Roll in North Norfolk?

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Hugh

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
hugh what consulting did your party do on this matter ?? or more guess work ??

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Double Bill

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
only 1,300 signature on a petition, thank you Callum for that helpfull bit of information, you have just reinforce the facts, that most people in north Norfolk, are more than happy to paid a bit more to park their cars. and you have also highlighted just how out of touch, the Labour party are.

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Hugh

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Not to mention the 1,300 signature petition from North Walsham. . .

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Callum Ringer

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hugh, That is certainly not all the Labour supporters there tonight. Indeed, there were more Labour supporters than there were Lib Dem Councillors! The fact that Labour, Lib Dems, UKIP, and chambers of trade spoke against the increase suggest, Hugh, that you are indeed incorrect.

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Callum Ringer

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The photo of only 12 protesters, highlights the fact that the local Labour party do not have much support, on the car park fees issue, and that most people in north Norfolk, are more than happy to paid a bit more to park their cars.

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Hugh

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Nice of Graham Jones to Echo Tim Bartlett's branding of the car park hike as a "stealth tax". Shame Graham, and the Liberals came up with no viable alternative policy. . . . The ineffectiveness of the Lib Dems seems to be an ongoing trend.

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Callum Ringer

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The council never listen. They hound the good, because its easier, and turn a blind all the those in our society who are a pain in the neck, like metal scrap in gardens, illegal parking and noise pollution. Our council haven't go the guts to go after the trouble makers.But then we all know who controls the council

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weaversway

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
What is the point of NNDC having a salaried legal department ? £100k is merely the salary of one executive portfolio Cabinet officer would have thought the answer was obvious As for parking charges is it little wonder people shop at the free supermarkets

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Claire Voyant

Wednesday, February 22, 2012