WESTBURY Town Council has condemned Wiltshire Council for a “disgraceful” move to charge blue badge holders for parking in Wiltshire Council car parks.
The charges will come into effect from Thursday 1st September, with the council also charging an additional 10p per hour per tariff on all parking charges in the county.
At a meeting of Westbury Town Council’s highway, planning, and development committee last week, cllr Mike Sutton read out a statement from the council which stated, “Westbury Town Council deplore the raising of charges against blue badge holders and the disabled.”
Cllr Sheila Kimmins added, “The blue badge says, ‘three hours free’ – not three hours free unless Wiltshire Council says different. It is so grossly unfair and it’s a move that hurts some of the most vulnerable parts of our society the hardest. This is disgraceful.”
Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for transport, cllr Dr Mark McClelland, says the move will allow the council to invest in “vital services” in Wiltshire.
He said, “These changes were agreed in February as part of our budget-making process to help us better reflect current inflation levels. It was a difficult decision, but we have not increased parking charges in four years, and we have no intention of doing so again in the next four years.
“We have listened to residents’ feedback on these changes and have decided now to make these adjustments to parking charges and follow the strategy set out in our Local Transport Plan. These changes, which are evidence-based as set out in our business plan, will enable us to continue to invest in both parking and vital services in Wiltshire.”
To find out more about the decision, visit: https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1864
