Car Park Article by Chris Nelder
Dulverton Town Council is currently fighting to keep control of the car parks. Below is an article written by the chairman Mr Chris Nelder.
The Big Society /Devolvement.
Only When It Suits the Higher Authorites!
It has been my privilege to be the Chairman of Dulverton Town Council for over seven years and during that time members have faced many challenges. As volunteers who choose to represent and serve the community in which we live, we share a heavy responsibility and accountability for decisions we make on behalf of residents, particularly when it comes to budgeting. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control we are faced with what in my experience, is our biggest challenge yet with regards budgeting to meet our existing responsibilities and the needs of this community.
Dulverton car parks are currently owned by the West Somerset District Council, who for many years has had an agreement with the Town Council allowing the Council on payment of an annual rent to manage and administer the car parks, retaining the revenue raised. This has enabled Dulverton Town Council to keep the parking charges as low as financially possible and ensure that the revenue raised is used for the benefit of this community, those living in surrounding area and visitors have access to various facilities. The income has in turn enabled members to keep any increase in precept reasonable.
However members have very recently been informed that the car parks in Dulverton are to become the responsibility of the Somerset County Council in their endeavours to decriminalise the parking and traffic management within Somerset . The Council have been informed that the decision not to continue with the agreement is unavoidable and of a ‘strategic nature’, as the car parks will apparently need to be included within the parking order application made by Somerset County Council to the Secretary of State who has to approve the proposals.
There would appear to be no legislation which debars this Council from managing the car parks, indeed it would appear that the only reason not to continue with the agreement is to create uniformity throughout Somerset .
A loss of revenue on this scale will undoubtedly create severe financial problems for Dulverton Town Council, and directly affect this rural community heavily reliant upon tourism.
Like all local authorities at this level this Council has been inundated with information and new legislation concerning the creation of ‘sustainable rural communities’. We are being encouraged to take responsibility for more community facilities and services and to use resources, including that of funding, available locally. To take responsibility for the management of the car parks away from the Town Council goes totally against current priority Govermnent policy, with regards sustainable rural communities and the devolvement of functions to local Councils; and is particularly hard to accept bearing in mind that the car parks have been so successfully managed by the Town Council, for so many years.
As representatives of this community, the members of this Council have fought against the termination of the existing agreement with West Somerset Council and will continue to argue that that it is in the best interests of Dulverton that the arrangement continues. Arguably, if Government policy is to be successfully pursued all local Town and Parish Councils should be given the opportunity to manage the car parks in their area, enabling the revenue raised to be used to meet the needs of local people and managed by those who they have chosen to represent them, who live and work in the area and understand those needs.
I urge local residents and those who run businesses in Dulverton to continue to put pressure on the higher authorities and become involved in the fight to retain all the valuable facilities currently availab le in our Town.
Chris Nelder Chairman Dulverton Town Council Somerset