£67,000 'wasted' on parking review (From Western Telegraph)

£67,000 'wasted' on parking review

5:00pm Thursday 19th November 2009 in News

Pembrokeshire County Council spent £67,000 on the report that recommended introducing controversial parking charges to Milford Haven.

The charges, which Milford Haven Town Council, local traders and the town’s business circle have all vowed to fight, were recommended in a report by consultants Colin Buchanan.

The county council hired the company to carry out the study in 2007.

It has now been revealed that the two-year study cost £67,000. The figure was revealed after west Wales Assembly Member Joyce Watson wrote to Pembrokeshire County Council leader, Cllr John Davies.

She labelled the report a waste of money and added: “This £67,000 is a huge amount for this consultation. The expertise of Pembrokeshire’s own officers could have been used and this money spent on much-needed local services.”

Labour council leader Sue Perkins added: “Pembrokeshire people want a sensible answer to the challenges of parking, not this waste of public money.”

Cllr Davies said Mrs Watson was the Labour group leader on the council when the report was commissioned.

“She could have voiced her opposition then and even ‘called in’ the decision, but didn’t,” Cllr Davies said.

He said consultants were used to get an independent review.

“Had we used our own officers, Joyce Watson would have been the first to complain that the review was biased.”