The Liberal Democrats are delighted at the decision by the Tory cabinet of AVDC to freeze car parking charges and abandon the Sunday parking charge suggestion. The move came after the Liberal Democrats argued against the introduction of the changes in the council chamber and collected hundreds of signatures in just a couple of hours in protest at the move. The petition was handed in at the Aylesbury Local Area Forum on 10th November and the full AVDC council meeting on 26th November.

Cllr Steve Patrick the leader of the Liberal Democrats at Aylesbury Town Council said “the Tories were determined to make Aylesbury residents, shoppers and businesses suffer by introducing these fees and have had to back track after the Lib Dems and the public protested. When Kevin McPartland announced the decision to the AVDC council it was clear from the calls of support by the Tories that they were going to press ahead regardless of the opposition.

The Liberal Democrats challenged the decision at every step of the way and went to the public with a petition of opposition to the Tory plans. It took this action for the Tories to understand that increasing the car park charges and introducing Sunday charging was wrong for Aylesbury in the current economic troubles. Once again the Tories have proved they have no idea what the ordinary people in Aylesbury are thinking and what they need.”

Cllr Keith Turner who is the local Aylesbury Vale District Council member for Aylesbury Central and handed in the petition at the AVDC full council meeting on 27th November, welcomed the news and said “increasing charges and moving the Thursday late night parking fee reduction to a Saturday was a false economy as it would have stopped people from coming on the late night and would not increase parking use on a Saturday. This is real people power telling the Tories that they are out of touch and out of ideas.”

Cllr Alan Sherwell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats at AVDC said “This just shows that the Tories have no strategy or internal cohesion. Tory scrutiny committee members recommended these charges based on a Tory sponsored officer report against the opposition of Lib Dem Councillors. We are glad that we and the public have made them take the right line.”

Notes for editors
Background information

The petitions were presented to the Greater Aylesbury Local Area Forum on Monday 10th November and at full AVDC council on 26th November. The cabinet member then had to consider the petition and report back to the council his decision.