Breckland Council spent £55,000 on car parking charges plan for places like Attleborough and Thetford
A Norfolk council spent more than £55,000 on its ill-fated plans to introduce car parking charges.
Breckland Council has revealed it used the huge sum to fund surveys and research before slamming the brakes on the scheme earlier this month.
The plans to introduce charges for the first time in towns like Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham and Thetford were met with a backlash, particularly from local business owners.
The council pushed ahead with its consultation process despite this but ultimately halted the scheme in response to plans for local government reorganisation.
Norfolk’s eight councils all face the prospect of being abolished, with new councils created to replace them, as part of Labour’s devolution and reorganisation plans.
The county currently has a two-tier system, with some services provided by Norfolk County Council and some by the city, district and borough councils.
The shake-up would create unitary councils to provide all services along with an elected mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk.
The cost of the car parking scheme was revealed at a meeting of Breckland Council this week, with £31,000 spent on a feasibility study and nearly £26,000 on consultation.
Breckland Council’s plans to introduce car parking charges have been controversial from the beginning.
While the authority said the fees were necessary to afford the upkeep of car parks, many people feared the charges would be hugely detrimental to struggling high streets.
Terry Jermy, Breckland councillor and MP for South West Norfolk, told the meeting: “We’re all aware that our market towns are in a very fragile state.
“I have been shocked over the last few months how the possibility of car parking charges has resulted in three businesses announcing they are due to close.”
However, leaders at the authority have stressed the scheme has only been paused, not scrapped, meaning the research carried out is not redundant and will still be put to use.
Sam Chapman-Allen, leader of the council, said the implementation of the policy would be for a “future administration” to decide.
