I would like to thank Reepham Town Council for its contribution to the debate on proposed parking charges for the Station Road car park, as well as the letters on the Reepham Life community website.
Broadland District Council’s Economic Success Panel is an advisory panel and in this case to the Cabinet, which recently met.
It became clear that the author of the report had not been fully briefed; for example, that Reepham Town Council provided the lighting to the Station Road car cark and that the National Trust is the owner of one of the car parks in Aylsham.
One important change which I proposed – and the panel accepted – in the recommendation was that before any decision is made there should be wider consultation, including with town and parish councils.
The long resolution included the phrase “and mitigate the financial impact” and for this reason it is likely to prejudice the outcome, so I voted against the recommendation.
My view is that a financial surplus is by no means clear given the uncertainty of the current information.
Any surplus from the parking charges at Aylsham and Reepham is suggested be used solely for the enforcement of off-street and on-street parking restrictions in all the other Broadland District Council’s (free) car parks and on-street parking from Acle to Foulsham and everything in between. This cannot be equitable.
There is a lot of water to flow under this bridge.
Stuart Beadle, Reepham District Councillor