£100 parking permit plan for Councillors is for ‘equality’ – not just ‘lip service’

A new parking permit that would see ‘historic’ free parking for councillors and some senior council staff removed is on track to be introduced.

Executive Board members this week voted in favour of moving forward with the principle of scrapping the freebie scheme and introducing an option that would be available to all town centre council staff and 52 councillors in a quest for ‘equality’.

Last week Wrexham.com reported that plans had been put forward to introduce an employee and member parking permit scheme for councillors and staff in the town centre.

Currently around 495 employees, including senior officers and councillors get free parking at certain council owned town centre car parks for the “purpose of carrying out council business”.

However in recent years and in light of ongoing budget cuts there have been growing calls from the public to scrap the free parking scheme for councillors.

The scheme has also been challenged by Trades Unions and employees about the “perceived inequality”, with other town centre based staff expected to make their own personal parking arrangements.

Last year during Wrexham Council’s ‘Difficult Decisions’ budget consultation one potential money saver / generator put forward being the scrapping of the free parking in the Guildhall car park. It was estimated at the time that this could make revenue savings of £49,000 .

It has since been revealed that proposal received the highest public approval rating in the consultation.

As a result a new employee and member parking permit scheme has been proposed and if adopted will give councillors and council staff the option to pay £100 a year to park in any town centre car park.

However at Tuesday’s meeting questions over the cost and “clarity of the maths” were posed by Cllr Dana Davies, who called the proposed scheme a “lip service” rather than one that can generate income.

Cllr Davies said: “Why are we not looking a this as income generator? We do for every other parking, so why are we just looking at £100?

“It seems to be more lip service rather than generating income that can obviously support other services struggling.

Cllr David A Bithell, lead member for environment and transport, said: “What I would say this is not necessarily income generation, it is about making the saving of £49,000. The proposals will be shared with the same time as Trade Unions, staff and other group leaders and non-aligned members.

“We are not paying lip service to the proposal. The three principle groups, the Conservative group, the Wrexham Independent Group and the Independent Group who are the Administration have taken this very seriously. We have taken on board comments in the consultation and have agreed in principle to take this matter forward.”

Cllr Bithell added: “There is inequality in the council with car parking. Some pay full price and some get it free.

“This is about making sure we get equality.”

Council Leader Mark Pritchard said: “We went out for consultation and the people of came back Wrexham made it clear that they felt elected members should pay for parking. Rightly or wrongly, but that’s what they said.

“We have to take on board what the consultations have come up with, sometimes we support it and sometimes we don’t. It depends what implications and impact they have.

Citing £52m of savings and an estimated future £13m of savings to be made he added: “We’re in some of the most extremely difficult times we have ever been in as a council, and I don’t think it is a hardship to charge what is being proposed £100 a year. Joe Public comes along and they pay, so why shouldn’t we?

The proposed changes to staff and councillor car parking will now be shared with employees, recognised Trade Unions, political group leaders and non-aligned councillors on the proposals.

Final details of the scheme will be firmed up once the period of consultation is over and a decision will be made by the head of environment and planning via a delegated decision.