Consultation to start over new car park charges plan (From Western Telegraph)

Charges 'a stealth tax on rural communities'

3:38pm Friday 25th September 2009 in News

The public will have the chance to have their say on proposals to introduce new car parking charges across the county.

At a special meeting at county hall this morning (Friday) the environment overview and scrutiny committee spent four hours debating the emotive issue.

Subsequently a majority vote saw the statutory process activated and a further and wider consultation period into the new car parking charges begin.

An amendment was also proposed and moved to report back to cabinet the significant concerns raised at today’s meeting ‘that need to be given due consideration’.

Committee chairman Cllr Peter Stock said he was keen to ensure the important and sensitive subject of car parking charges was debated fully and stressed the consequences of the meeting was not a final decision but the start of a process.

The proposals could see new charges introduced in Pembroke Dock, Fishguard and Milford Haven.

Pembroke Dock County Councillor Sue Perkins said: "The three towns we are talking about are on their knees now and that’s the problem."

Pembrokeshire county council director of transportation and environment Ian Westley said all the submitted observations received in response of the parking charges were in objection.

"There is never going to be a popular time to introduce parking charges," he said.

County councillor Bob Kilmister described the charges as a ‘new stealth tax on rural communities.’ See full story in Wednesday's Western Telegraph.