25th April 2008

For the last month I have not responded to a letters relating to the introduction of car parking charges in Harleston. I reasoned that the public was tiring of tit-for-tat and increasingly personal attacks on me in the letters page of the EDP, Mercury & Express. But lurid claims that South Norfolk Council’s annual review of parking arrangements across the district ‘will destroy a way of life’ must be challenged.

So all across the district we’re changing the arrangements to give one hours free parking in the car parks closest to the shops. Local shopkeepers in Wymondham & Diss will now benefit from this change so that anyone can pop into the shops without a charge.

Some towns like Loddon that rely on tourism have suggested that two hours would be better and their Town Council has successfully negotiated this with our blessing.

Two Hours Free

Let’s face it. You can do all the shops in two hours but if you want to park all day we’re going to ask you to contribute to the cost of the upkeep. That seems fair. Not least because if car parks are blocked with all-day parkers, there will be no space for shoppers.

The offer of two hours free in Harleston has been proposed but, as the EDP reported last week [Tuesday 15] their town council has refused to meet us to negotiate the second hour even after ten weeks of reminding.

We have been unable to meet with them even to discuss how to minimise inconvenience during a resurfacing program that will make their car parks safe, secure & well lit when the evenings pull in. Those who are complaining the most are actively standing in the way of a solution.

Harleston campaigners claim that the District Council isn’t listening but I’d remind them that we’ve attended 14 public meetings to discuss the matter and reviewed their own evidence presented to the South Norfolk Scrutiny Committee on two occasions [and again on Weds 23rd April for a third time], evidence that shows that 92% of people would be unaffected by the two hour plans. And for those that need to park all day, season tickets are proposed that give all day parking for less than a single hour on-street in Norwich.

Not All Unaffected

Of course, not everyone will be unaffected. The man who set-up a car sales business in our car-park will have to look elsewhere. As will the couple who went on holiday and left their caravan blocking three spaces for the week!

The hard fact is that decisions taken four years ago, in many cases by those who are now shouting the loudest, are seeing Harleston grow in size by a third.

The Harleston ‘way of life’ is changing as hundreds of new houses are completed and the best way to protect the town is to upgrade the car parks, make it easier for shoppers to find a space by limiting free stays to less than two hours. And of course, elsewhere in the district to extend free parking in other towns like Diss and Wymondham.

So, South Norfolk Council isn't stopping free parking, we're extending it right across the district.