Time to speak out

Steve Paxton

16 April 2008

I SEEM to have upset the leader of the Labour led Borough Council.

He calls me cheeky for daring to criticise him for increasing car park charges for the second year in succession, preferring instead to lay the blame at the door of the county council who don't control the charges.

He is right when he says that the borough council didn't raise their part of the Council Tax bill in 2006 and 2007. What was the result of this?

A deficit of finances of the council of over a million pounds, despite all the stealth taxes brought in at the same time, including the increases in car park charges.

I notice that in his response, the best defence the council leader could have is missing. Namely, increased revenue from the use of car parks since the increase. Can I therefore assume that this policy has failed? If so, why repeat it? Did he really expect more people to use the car parks if they have to pay more? Did he really think the public would not look for somewhere else to park in the streets of Abbey Ward?

The leader of the council criticised the Conservative budge (which proposed an increase of 2.5 per cent, compared to 2.9 per cent proposed by Labour) as being from a 'Father Christmas list', yet he obviously believes that a 0 per cent increase two years in a row to be sensible. Maybe he is in cloud cuckoo land. The Conservative budget was a responsible one tackling the huge deficit while maintaining services and would have frozen car park charges.

I would like to know what the current Labour Ward councillors think of the rises. Given they voted for it, I can guess.

Far from being cheeky, I was speaking out for the residents of Abbey. The current representatives of Abbey might like to try it sometime.

Steve Paxton,

Conservative Candidate,

Abbey Ward

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