Powys spends £50,000 on consultants for car parking fees hike

A Welshpool county councillor has reacted with “disappointment and horror” after being told that Powys County Council has spent nearly £50,000 on consultants reviewing the car park price hikes implemented last year.

Last year, motorists were shocked to learn that short term parking fees were ending and it would cost £2.50 to park for an hour in council owned car parks.

Welshpool’s Cllr Graham Breeze led the calls for a re-think, but he said he withdrew his proposal for a reintroduction of short stay charges in July 2023 after being promised an immediate review.

But a year on and there is still no review in sight, with a scrutiny committee item on the subject earlier this month being withdrawn just two days prior.

In a letter seen by MyWelshpool to Cllr Jackie Charlton, the cabinet member responsible, Cllr Breeze is demanding answers after being told that “£49,796.31 was spent to deliver Member/Stakeholder Workshops, further additional face-to-face meetings to discuss recommendations and a full desk top review incorporated into the report”.

Cllr Breeze was previously informed by Cllr Charlton that the report was submitted to council officers on April 4, but withdrawn from a July 19 scrutiny meeting because “there was lack of agreement on the recommendations after a full discussion prior to scrutiny”.

But Cllr Breeze claimed in his letter: “Your response is very telling and one can only assume the £50,000 recommendations were not to your liking.”

Cllr Breeze also wants answers as to why the consultants are pocketing £20,000 more than the £30,000 originally tabled for the cost of their work.

“And while we delay announcing the findings of this report our residents continue to be faced with £2.50 fees for popping to the shops and our town centre business owners continue to tell us that footfall is being damaged by increased car parking costs,” he said.

“I sincerely hope that the consultant’s report is brought to the next available scrutiny committee.”

In a reply to Cllr Breeze’s initial concerns, Cllr Charlton previously said: “I am working with officers and the Corporate Leadership Team to provide a report which can be fully supported to take forward to scrutiny as soon as practicable.”