A Member of the Isle of Wight Council has written to the Cabinet Member responsible for parking charges calling for a u-turn on plans to raise charges and accusing the Independent Administration of treating motorists as “cash cows” to be milked for their money by the Council.
In a forthright letter to Cllr Jonathan Gilbey, who is Cabinet Member for Finances, Cllr Matthew Price (Conservative, Newport North) says:
“Many of my local residents have told me that they are outraged at the proposal to charge the public to park until 8pm, this is unacceptable and extremely unfair. The residents and visitors which rely on parking in these public places will effectively have to pay to park when their day ends, the businesses which rely on people using them after or on the way home from work will suffer terribly.
Article continues below this advertisement “Businesses such as chip shops, takeaways, pubs, restaurants, convenience stores and other businesses which operate during the evening will have yet another disadvantage which I believe is likely to cause many of these businesses to cease trading.
“Frankly charging to park until 8pm is a disgraceful way for the IOW Council to make money, which is basically what this charge is for. Motorists, whether visitors or residents, should not be seen as “cash cows” to be milked in this way.”
The Medina Campus in Cllr Price’s ward has been the focus of particular concern, leading to the councilor adding:
“I have been inundated with approaches from teaching and non-teaching staff of Medina College pointing out that the introduction of charges in the car parks will hit them hard. The same goes for users of the leisure centre.”
Cllr Price also goes on to highlight the record of the previous Conservative Administration saying:
“The previous Conservative Administration managed to avoid any increase in parking charges and any reduction in free parking provision for six years in succession. In the interests of the Island economy we should be striving to match that restraint. These proposals should go back before the Full Council for reconsideration.”
