18th November 2014
Dear Sirs
Re: On the Withdrawal of On-Street Car Parking proposals
I am pleased for the people and businesses in Cumbria that the threat of the damaging proposal on street car parking charges has now been removed. It should never have come to this however; the consultation on the budget proposals last year indicated that there was a majority of people opposed to this move. And yet the administration ploughed ahead regardless. Now, after causing great distress and unnecessary expense, a legal technicality has been identified that allows the proposal to be dropped. There is no remorse from the administration. They have not listened to the public, even now! As predicted at the last Council meeting, they are hiding behind the officers of the Council rather than admit they got this hugely wrong.
The sad truth is that we are faced with yet another budget consultation for the coming years. I fear that we will be lead down a very similar path unless Mr Young and Mrs Bell start to listen to what these consultations actually tell them. We are well aware that there needs to be cuts. The Council has to balance its budget. But do not be fooled. There are choices about where cuts fall. These are political choices, based on proposals that the Cabinet have agreed to consult on. Let’s also hope that they are prepared to do their homework ahead of presenting a budget to Council for consideration in February of next year, thereby avoiding further unnecessary waste. The proposals in the budget consultation are scant on detail and completely lacking in any understanding of the true implications of such cuts. Indeed only a small percentage of the actual budget cuts needed are being consulted on with the public. Service changes that will see staff reduced by around 1800 posts in the next three years will inevitably have an impact on the capacity of the Council to deliver services. So we all need to question this administration hard prior to any decisions being taken. They need to regain the trust of the public and at present, by conducting themselves in a secretive and underhand manner; they have a mountain to climb.
We will continue to support the Cumbrian people and its businesses and oppose cuts that will damage our industries, prevent vulnerable people being looked after properly or put rural people in an impossible position. I continue to urge everyone to respond to the public budget consultation. Perhaps this time Mr Young and Mrs Bell will be forced to listen.
Yours
Cllr James Airey
Conservative Group Leader
County Councillor for Ulverston West