MPs and Labour leader welcome decision on car park charges in Dereham, Thetford, Swaffham, Watton and Attleborough
South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss
Martin George
Saturday, February 2, 2013
4:51 PM
Two MPs have welcomed a decision not to introduce car parking charges in five mid-Norfolk towns.
Well-used - the Cherry Tree car park in Dereham.; Photo: Bill SmithA Breckland Council feasibility study into fees at its car parks in Dereham, Thetford, Swaffham, Watton and Attleborough had concluded it could have made a profit of up to £828,000.
The study itself cost £14,000 in internal staff costs.
Council leader William Nunn yesterday announced that concerns raised by local residents and fears about the impact on the economies of the market towns prompted councillors not to go ahead.
South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss tweeted: “Good news as free parking continues in Thetford and Swaffham. Do pass Go, do not pay 200 pounds. (Poetic license)”.
Meanwhile Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman tweeted: “Well done Breckland Council for listening to local views and NOT instigating parking charges on fragile rural town centres. #realleadership”
The Labour party in Breckland last year launched a petition against the possible introduction of parking fees.
Terry Jermy, who leads the Labour group on the council, said: “I am delighted with the news regarding car parking charges. This is something the Breckland Labour group fought very strongly for as this would have a massive detrimental effect on our towns.
“It is disappointing that so much money and time was wasted on such an ill-conceived idea.”
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9 comments
Great that, more electioneering, and those 14% without a car subsidise the car parks.
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ingo wagenknecht
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Latest article in this series reveals collusion between tories in local and central government to cheat the electorate of the chance to have their say on this unjustifiable increase, sneaked in on the back of a promise to keep free car parking. Real leadership, Freeman? Really full of ##it more like.
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Police Commissioner ???
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Pity North Norfolk District Council could not take notice of this, as they have been ripping us off with car parking charges for years
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Farquarson-Smythe
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Johnny, I presume you're not referring to the Swaffham Newsletter which is not only independent (like most initiatives in Swaffham - the main function of the council seems to be to interfere!) but informative to boot.
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Thoreauwasright
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Now lets start making savings. Stop the self promotion and sending out that newsletter that goes straight into the recycle bin. Lighting levels are far too high in council offices and turn the heating down, all the staff are in light weight clothing. So much more can and must be done.
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Johnny Norfolk
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Roll on the local referendum and we'll see how many people actually want to pay an extra 7.8% in council tax then.
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Police Commissioner ???
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Spare me the back-slapping. Townsfolk and businesses subsidised at the expense of the wider electorate. A 7.8% increase, how is this possible when Eric Pickles has supposedly placed a 2% cap on council tax increases?
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Police Commissioner ???
Saturday, February 2, 2013
An "ill conceived idea" - do you hear that North Norfolk District Council? Your car park fees have strangled the economic life out of the towns in your district. How about listening for once and abolishing the charges in all of your car parks too. If Breckland DC can see sense do without them, so can you.
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Pete Bogg
Saturday, February 2, 2013
And what do these two think of the proposed 7.8 increase in Council Tax that Breckland are proposing?
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MediaDoc
Saturday, February 2, 2013