Sandgate Parish Council Meeting: Parking Charges Question

Sandgate resident and Shepway District Councillor Tim Prater has submitted a question to the Sandgate Parish Council meeting this evening after the news that Shepway District Council are seeking a massive 500% increase in income from Sandgate Car Parks next year.

The question from Tim Prater reads:

"The draft budget for 2009-10 of Shepway District Council (report C/08/61), led by Sandgate Councillor Robert Bliss, is budgeting to make an additional £25,000 from "Sandgate Car Park" per year for the next five years (Appendix 3, point 4.1).

"In the current year, Sandgate Parish Council is paying Shepway around £5,000 a year for the Castle Road and Wilberforce Road Car Parks to be free to park. The Shepway proposals would either mean that rose to £30,000 per year - 50% of Sandgate's total budget - or that parking charges would be imposed in the car parks.

"Last night, at Shepway's Corporate Scrutiny Committee, despite the issue of Sandgate car parks being raised explicitly in both written and verbal questions, Sandgate Councillor Jan Holben and all other Conservatives present voted for the budget. Only the Liberal Democrat members did not vote for the budget proposals.

"Will this Council commit to retaining free parking in Sandgate, and urgently lobby Shepway Council to reconsider their budget at the Cabinet meeting on 10 December? Will this Council censure those Sandgate District Councillors who are backing Shepway budget proposals that would have a devastating effect on our village?"

The Sandgate Parish Council meeting is open to public and press, and starts at 7pm at Sandgate Library on Sandgate High Street. The agenda for the meeting is available at http://www.sandgatepc.kentparishes.gov.uk/default.cfm?pid=minutes&minutesid=864