In what could be a spectacular own goal for B&NES Council, a single sentence in an appendix of B&NES’ budget proposal for 2022/23 has local Councillors up in arms this week – and it could so easily have been missed.

‘Introduce hourly based charging in Midsomer Norton and Radstock’ - sitting on Page 5 of the Budget Appendix, Cllr Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North) raised this sentence at the Council’s Corporate Policy and Development Scrutiny Panel last week and was told by Deputy Leader, Cllr Richard Samuel, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Resources that this had already been extensively consulted upon in 2021. The issue is, no one seems to have known about it.

B&NES Council have since had to backtrack - a statement to The Journal attributed to Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “The parking consultation we held last year did not specifically include Midsomer Norton or Radstock. Changes to Traffic Regulation Orders require a statutory consultation before any changes to parking arrangements are made, so we’ll be asking residents to have their say in further consultations in 2022.”

Councillor Hughes said he was somewhat blindsided by the appendix line, concerned such a big issue had been missed. He said: “As a member of the scrutiny panel I was astounded to find charging in our car parks included in the draft budget without any consultation. Our car park is vital to our community and key to the survival of our high street, in an area where, for the majority of residents, a car is the only viable option.

“It’s ridiculous that Bath should impose charges, especially at a time when we are seeing huge cost of living increases. Access to our schools, shops, banks, pharmacies and post offices should not be penalised by our Council. This is just another case of Bath dictating to us without any understanding of what our community needs. I have written to the Cabinet and requested that this is removed from the budget.”

Cllr Hughes also recently campaigned to have an area of South Road car park removed from the Local Plan update, which would see part of it allocated for housing. Speaking at the scrutiny panel meeting last week, Cllr Samuel argued: “The question I put back, is if you do not raise income from the sources that are available to the Council, what services do you cut – because I’m afraid that is the binary choice. The Council cannot maintain its level of services unless there is a charge for parking, because the other income sources are already under pressure from the pandemic. So, we felt it was appropriate to look at parking charges and how they operate.”

He added that he thought the charges proposed for Midsomer Norton and Radstock were “a low hourly rate”, but these figures have not materialised. The appendix shows that the Council projects to save £20,000 in 22/23 through the proposed parking charges with a £55,000 saving in 2023/24, the first figure allowing for set up.

Cllr Hughes retorted: “If the charges are very low, it begs the question - why bother? Why penalise for such a small return?”

By Monday evening of this week, news of the proposals had spread and Radstock Town Council had added the issue to its agenda. Cllr Chris Dando reflected that Radstock had often had the threat of parking charges over it - in recent years a ticketed, but free parking scheme for a limited amount of hours to free up some of the car parks. He added that this had never been reviewed, as promised, and that it had displaced cars elsewhere throughout the town.

He said: “So far, every time the proposal of paid parking has come up it has been defeated – because it is bonkers. It would significantly damage Radstock Town Centre and Midsomer Norton’s – free parking is one of the benefits that we have in our towns.

“I do wonder how you can bring forward a proposal to charge without any accuracy of what that might entail, what loss of trade it might mean, this has fundamentally not been thought through. We, as a Town Council, should make a firm objection and seek to work with the traders to do the same. We should also reach out to Midsomer Norton, because I believe this is different to parking in Keynsham.

“I also think the Council is in breach of the Parish Charter - B&NES are obliged to consult before they put forward any proposals and I do not recall any consultation, either individually or as part of the Somer Valley Forum.

“This would be so damaging to our town - at a point where we are just starting to recover from the pandemic - to impose a charge, whatever that may be, will be devastating for our town and I think we should fight this with every fibre of our being.”

Standing orders were suspended for Westfield Ward Councillor and Radstock resident, Eleanor Jackson, to speak. She said: “Pay by the hour for the privilege of working in Radstock? Quite frankly, people won’t. Can you imagine what would happen to traders if they lost 25% of their trade if the charges came in? I suspect the cost of installing metres will be more expensive than the total income they will receive in the next five years.”

Cllr Bruce Shearn added: “People simply won’t pay to park. We have less parking in the town as part of the regeneration scheme, but actually paying to park is something I will not support. For the simple reason that Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Keynsham want vibrant high streets. And you don’t get vibrant high streets by penalising people for actually going to these places.”

Midsomer Norton Town Council is yet to comment on the proposals but see Letter from Cllr Michael Evans on this subject, page 9.

The Consultation on the budget is open until noon on Monday, 24th January. Visit: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/budget-consultation-2022-2023 , click on ‘Submit Your Answers Online’ and complete the questionnaire, or email: [email protected].