Lib Dem campaign forces Council U-turn on Sunday parking charges

Reacting to the ‎news of Wiltshire Council's last minute U-turn to drop Sunday car parking charges due to start this Sunday, Leader of the Opposition and Lib Dem Group Leader on Wiltshire Council Ian Thorn said,

"I'm delighted that Wiltshire Council's Cabinet have finally seen sense. These Sunday parking charges were a terrible idea.

They would have hit our town centre residents, businesses, churches and the work of all of us who want to keep our high streets alive.

Thousands of residents from right across Wiltshire had already signed our protest petition with more doing so every day.

We already had the 5,000 signatures we needed to force a Council debate and vote on this plan.

From what I was hearing from Councillors in the different political groups, I believe we would have won that vote. No doubt the Cabinet had also worked that out."

Councillor Thorn added "Wiltshire Council's Conservative Leaders need to learn a key lesson.

When you consult people, you need to listen to their answer. Too often the Conservatives ignore these answers when they do not like them.

This time Town Councils, town centre residents, businesses and churches all said these charges were the wrong thing to do. We heard that and acted. I hope the Conservatives will learn from that."

Reacting to the decision to suspend the burden of Sunday parking charges from Wiltshire Council car parks in Salisbury, Harnham councillor Brian Dalton commented, "I am pleased that the pressure applied in other parts of the county has helped residents and businesses in Salisbury, and I am delighted that the rest of Wiltshire is now not going to subjected to Sunday car parking ‎charges like we have been here in Salisbury.

These have not helped Salisbury local traders and businesses recover. I have wanted to see an end to them and am delighted that at last we will."