Changes to Honiton car parking charges to be decided on by full council

Any changes to car parking strategy in Honiton will now be decided by the full council following a constitution change over controversial plans to hike car parking charges by 20 per cent.

The council's cabinet earlier this month agreed to go out to consultation on plans that would see car park charges rise from £1 to £1.20 per hour in high demand car parks.

It followed two hours of debate at that meeting which saw 24 councillors stand up and speak out against the plans.

Councillor Paul Millar though put forward a motion to Wednesday night's full council meeting that would ensure a decision could only be taking by the full council.

Councillors on Wednesday night overwhelmingly agreed to add 'Car Parking Strategy' to the current list of 12 discretionary areas of the Policy Framework whereby full council and not the cabinet makes the decision.

The car parks that the price rises would affect are the Lace Walk short stay car park in Honiton, West Street short stay car park in Axminster, Orchard car park in Seaton, Central car park short stay in Beer, Rolle Mews car park in Budleigh Salteron, Ham East, Ham West, Roxburgh and Mill Street in Sidmouth, and the London Inn, Imperial Road and Queens Drive car parks in Exmouth.

Councillor Millar said: "Amending the constitution in the way I suggest ensures that Cabinet cannot ignore the findings of Scrutiny's Extraordinary meeting and gives both Cabinet and Council the opportunity to reflect on the work of the Task and Finish Forum which over the coming months will crunch data and conduct detailed research into ongoing and future management of the operation of the Council's car parks and make recommendations.

"It is a necessary insurance policy against cabinet no examining detail and making uninformed decisions on car parking strategy now and in the future. Going ahead as we are will not serve the reputation of the council very well.

"With a little bit of focussed research through the TAFF, we might be able to ensure we increase revenue in a way which doesn't hurt our local communities and the most vulnerable people within them. I don't think we've seen a credible case to suggest that residents will suddenly flock to the emptier car parks we want residents and visitors to use.

"By ensuring all councillors get a voice and a vote, this should lead to a more considered policy the design and implementation of which takes into consideration of a multitude of factors, and employs a holistic approach to ensure the bigger picture is seen, and any consultation which eventually goes forwards offers the public a proper and honest choice."

He was supported by councillor Eileen Wragg, who said: "To pull out a blanket figure out across the district, it wasn't thought out at all. This needs to be thoroughly examined and shouldn't be left for a very small amount of people to decide."

Councillor Ian Thomas, the council's finance portfolio holder, said that due the situation the council was in at the moment with no overall control and a minority Independent Group in charge, just the nine people on the cabinet have to take responsibility for significant and contentious decisions to make to balanced budget is a step too far.

He said: "I support this and propose that full council takes responsibility and accountability for key items in the medium term financial plan, of which this is one. A balanced budget has no alternative – it is a legal requirement."

But he added: "I want to extent the scope through an amendment. We will soon bring a toilet provision report which will also be controversial, so I want to add toilet provision across the district to something that council has a decision for as well."

Leader of the council, councillor Ben Ingham added: "We are a council with no overall control and if as a council you are minded to not accept the decision of cabinet, then the full council has to take responsibility for it. When a review of toilets comes to cabinet, do you think you will support the decision or criticise it?

"If cabinet puts something forward, then full council will rip it to pieces, so if you don't support the amendment, then you will have to support us then."

But councillor Mike Allen urged the cabinet to 'start acting like a cabinet', and added: "They cannot keep having shambolic four hour meetings and transfer decisions to full council as it cannot keep its own house in order."

Councillor Mike Howe, who called-in the cabinet's decision to scrutiny to suggest a TAFF be set up, said that he understand how the cabinet tried to come up with a logical and fully armed decision, but the fact was they didn't. He said: "I don't fully agree with the motion as I think the decision should stay with the cabinet, but cabinet needs to let the TAFF do its job. It could well decide on increases but you are making assumptions on issues you don't have the facts for. You may be surprised, you may not be, but don't pre-empt what they say."

Councillor Paul Arnott, leader of the East Devon Alliance, said that Mr Millar's motion was one that he had come up with after he went to the trouble of finding a way of digging the council out of the chaos of the last cabinet meeting, which was a farce, and saw policy made up on the hoof. He said: "It makes sure that if scrutiny make some recommendations, then they get to come here to full council."

Councillors voted by 33 votes to 22 to reject the amendments to add toilet provision and car parking strategy to the list of items full council has the decision over.

They then voted overwhelmingly in favour of councillor Millar's initial motion to add 'Car Parking Strategy' to the list, with support from the Conservatives, the East Devon Alliance, Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and some of the Independent Group.

Thursday night's scrutiny committee saw councillors recommended to cabinet that a report from a newly-created parking sub-committee to be considered before making a decision.

The cabinet will now have to make a recommendation to full council as to whether to accept that when they meet next Wednesday, rather than have the power to make a decision at that meeting.