"Town centre will suffer" warn Lib Dems as Conservatives reject plan to end car parking charge hikes

7.28.00am GMT Fri 29th Feb 2008

Local Lib Dems are concerned about the effect of higher car parking charges on shops in Kettering town centre

The competitiveness of Kettering town centre has been undermined, Liberal Democrats have warned, after Conservative councillors rejected a proposal to scrap rises in car parking charges contained in an "alternative budget" presented by the party at a meeting of Kettering Borough Council.

Kettering Lib Dem campaigners also criticised the actions of the Labour opposition, which despite being voted extra 'special responsibility allowances' at a meeting in June, failed to offer any alternatives to the budget of the Conservative administration.

Liberal Democrat proposals suggested that the charges be abolished out of money gained through reducing waste and reversing above-inflation rises in councillors' allowances.

Speaking after the meeting on Thursday 28th February, Lib Dem spokesperson Chris Nelson said:"The decision of Conservative councillors tonight to increase car parking charges in Kettering by above the rate of inflation is another blow to the fortunes of Kettering town centre, where the growing number of empty shops is causing serious concern to the people of Kettering. At a time when nearby towns are freezing their car parking charges, this decision is particularly disappointing.

"Nevertheless this failure to protect our town was compounded by the failure of the Labour opposition to offer any alternatives to an unimaginative budget, despite their access to the Council resources that would allow them to do so. Tough talk is nothing without the actions to back it up!"

"It is a sorry state of affairs when the Liberal Democrats with no councillors are providing more effective opposition than a Labour Party with six councillors. Kettering Labour have let us down and it is time for them to apologise."

ENDS

Notes:

1. The Conservatives' budget for 2008/9 can be downloaded here: http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/Section_1_1_.xls. This budget was passed unchanged by the Full Council meeting of 28 February 2008. All Conservative councillors present voted for the budget. 1 Labour councillor voted against, the other 5 abstained.

2. Labour special responsibility allowances: On 27th June 2007, a meeting of Full Council voted to award a new special responsibility allowance of £1,082 to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (see http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/x8_b.xls for details). This is in addition to the £5,318 special responsibility allowance granted to the Leader of the Opposition and other councillors allowances.

3. Liberal Democrat alternative budget: A summary of the 2008 Lib Dem alternative budget can be viewed on the Kettering Liberal Democrat website, here: http://www.ketteringlibdems.org.uk/news/000038/scrap_plans_for_car_parking_charge_rises_urge_liberal_democrats_in_alternative_council_budget.html