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Local MP Nigel
Waterson has hit out angrily at what he calls “political game-playing”
by the Liberal Democrat administration in the Town Hall. He was
responding to the ongoing arguments about the new town centre parking
scheme being introduced in early October.
“All we have seen from this bunch since they took over in May is
political game-playing. It began with the attempt to score political
points over the Council's finances when this resulted in the
revelation of a Tory underspend of £2 million and in the bungled
departure of the finance chief.”
“Now they are at it again over parking. Can this be the very same
Liberal Democrats who instigated the whole idea of decriminalised
parking in the first place, and a couple of years ago were trying to
foist a much larger and costlier scheme on local people?”
“During the recent local election campaign, on the doorsteps the
Liberal Democrats promised people that if they voted for them they
would scrap the parking scheme. Why did they not make clear that this
was a promise they could not deliver? Even if the Council's last-
ditch appeal to the Secretary of State is successful, the changes to
parking controls in the town centre and on the seafront could go ahead
anyway. The only casualty would be the introduction of so-called
‘decriminalised’ parking enforcement which would have allowed the
penalties currently going to the Treasury to be available locally for
transport improvements.”
“Did the Liberal Democrats simply fail to do their homework or did
they cynically set out to mislead my constituents? These are serious
questions which need to be answered.”
“But it is clear to me as the local MP that many of my constituents
are not happy with these proposals and of course the Chamber of
Commerce have now changed their attitude significantly. My prime
concern has always been to do the best for my constituents, and I am
therefore writing to the Secretary of State and the County Council
seeking the postponement of this scheme until a scheme is produced
which commands wider support.”
“Most sensible people agree that doing nothing for the next 4 years is
not an option. So I am lobbing the ball firmly back into the Borough
Council's court. Will they now come up with some proposals which are
sensible, acceptable and affordable? If they do, they will have my
support. Or do they just want to carry on playing silly political
games rather than doing the job they were elected to do? Time will
tell.”
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