Published at 07:41, Wednesday, 28 November 2012

I AM grateful to those who contributed to your latest article on parking charges. This is clearly an important subject for local people and the Conservative promise of free parking for residents in Hexham is well received on the doorstep.

Under the Conservative proposals for free parking, residents of Northumberland will be entitled to a time disc, registered to their particular car, which will allow them to park for free.

Traffic will be controlled using the time disc and existing time limits. Non-residents will still pay to park, because we don’t think local taxpayers should subsidise parking for visitors.

Our proposal is fully costed. We will fund free parking by saving on the maintenance cost of the dozens of redundant buildings left over from the reorganisation of local government, buildings which we will sell. The cost of maintaining these empty buildings has been a dead hand on our council for too long.

The current unfair situation of discriminating against our rural market towns must end.

The Mary Portas review of our high streets pointed out that parking charges are driving away local trade.

In Newcastle, the recent campaign for free parking after 5pm has proved a great success for business and jobs.

Let us see what a difference it would make to Hexham. Let us do everything we can to create a thriving town.

COUN. PETER JACKSON,

Leader,

Northumberland Conservatives

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk