Kirklees’ Labour administration has been slammed by the Tories for a “lack of transparency” and urged to go back to the drawing board when it comes to its controversial borough-wide plan to hike parking fees.
The unpopular decision to up costs and introduce them in car parks that were previously free was made last month in a bid to save the council some cash and encourage the use of public transport and active travel. This prompted opposition from multiple political groups, with the decision successfully “called in” by the Conservative group.
This will see the matter discussed at Wednesday’s (December 6) meeting of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Panel where the decision-makers will be questioned, and the whole process scrutinised. From here, there are three possible outcomes – that no further action is taken, that the report will be sent back to Cabinet and amended, or that it is sent to Full Council if the decision goes against the council’s budget or any previously agreed council policy.
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Kirklees’ Conservatives have criticised several aspects of the decision making process, stating that the report provided insufficient information around the financial implications, potential impacts on residents and businesses and the reasons behind the proposal. Leader of the group, Cllr David Hall said: “It is concerning that in an attempt to try to fix the Labour Administration’s financial mess they are playing fast and loose with Council procedures.
“The lack of transparency as to why these decisions are being made is unacceptable and the usual layers of consultation required under the Council’s constitution must be followed so that the people of Kirklees and their representatives are able to properly scrutinise these decisions.
“These proposals may have huge implications for the viability of our towns and villages. The Labour cabinet has decided this without revealing the reason for it, the financial modelling behind it or any expected impact on residents and businesses.
“That is unacceptable and they should go right back to the drawing board.”
Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, Cllr Yusra Hussain has since defended the process of decision making. She said: “The decisions made to increase parking fees and review free parking provision have been done so by Cabinet, in full public view, and following all correct procedures. They could not have been any more transparent.
“Many Councillors and members of the public provided their thoughts during the meeting, and the decision made at Cabinet included consultation on the proposals before their introduction. The Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee now has the opportunity to review the Cabinet decision, as a result of this call in request. I look forward to setting out the due process that was followed prior to the decision being taken. The most unfortunate impact of the call-in has been to delay this intended consultation.”
If the current plans go ahead, the hourly cost of parking in Huddersfield town centre will rise from 70p to £1.10. Outside of Huddersfield, charges would be put up from 5p per hour to 50p. Across the whole borough, all-day parking would increase by over 60% from £4 to £6.50.
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