Charges for residents parking permit zones will be introduced to certain areas in South Lanarkshire, despite the Labour group calling for the fee to be scrapped.
At the council’s executive committee meeting this week, the charge of £5 per year for two years was approved for resident parking permits in six areas.
The Labour group did propose to keep the zones and abolish the fee, but the majority of councillors voted in favour of the charge.
Resident permit parking zones are located in areas with high demand for parking including town centres or near train stations to allow residents and their visitors to park easily.
Areas with these zones in South Lanarkshire include 144 households in Cambuslang, 169 in Carluke, 2279 in East Kilbride, 932 in Hamilton, 744 in Rutherglen and 18 in Uddingston.
A consultation was carried out asking the 4286 households whether they wished to keep the permit zones with the £5 yearly charge for the next two years or if they wished to abolish the zones completely.
A total of 32 per cent of those asked responded and 81 per cent of those households chose the option to pay the £5 per year.
A small number of households, 12 in total, indicated on the consultation that they wished to remain part of the zone but not pay the administration charge.
The Labour group called out the consultation saying there should have been an option to keep the zones but remove the charge.
Leader of the Labour group Joe Fagan (East Kilbride Central North), said: “ I do not believe that a decision should be taken to approve the permit zones and to continue with the charge for permit zones for the next two years.
“My view is that the consultation is inadequate and it has been a waste of public money. Labour called to scrap the charge but the zones to be retained.
“It is not a reflection on our officials that the consultation was inadequate, it is a reflection on the limited options that the other parties were prepared to put before the public and it does not reflect the views of all those who have been in touch with their local councillors to object to the charge.
“On that basis, I have to say I think the consultation makes a total mockery of the commitment to so-called unity and empowerment. The Labour group would continue that we do not move with the charge.”
Councillor Catherine McClymont (Clydesdale North) said: “I thought that the actual consultation was disingenuous,. You either pay or you lose it – no wonder you only got 32 per cent responses.
“That’s not a consultation. I feel that the consultation was very poor and I just want to make that point.”
Councillor Alex Allison (Clydesdale East) spoke in favour of the consultation and the charge, sating: “80 per cent of respondents have agreed with it, so why would we do anything else? We’ve had the best response a consultation has ever had so I don’t see how it can be described as a poor consultation with 32 percent of people responding.”
Those thoughts were echoed by councillor Robert Brown (Rutherglen South), who said: “I must say I am astonished that we are in this position with the Labour Party. The officers have bent over backwards to gain responses on this consultation exercise. The consultation has come back with a pretty overwhelming response frankly which is to base any decision making.”
A total of 21 councillors voted in favour of the charge with seven voting for Labour’s call to scrap the fee and keep the zones.
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