No space for free parking in Milton Keynes Council’s covid recovery plan

    Wednesday, 2 September 2020 15:52

    By Local Democracy Reporter - David Tooley @TooleyMedia

    A Conservative call for free parking to help Milton Keynes shops recover from the devastating impact of the coronavirus crisis has been rejected by Labour and the Lib Dems.

    The Labour-run council has put together a £2.25 million covid economic recovery package that they say forms the biggest package that any council in the country has produced.

    But there are fault lines between the parties on the approach to boosting the economy and they burst to the fore at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on Tuesday.

    The Tories believe that free parking would boost local shops, which in turn pay business rates and wages for employees.

    They say figures show footfall in CMK is down by 30 per cent with customers also spending less per head than before the lockdown.

    Tory leader Cllr Alex Walker (Stantonbury) said the council’s recovery plan is “missing some of the basic things” such as free parking and a strategy for CMK.

    And the Conservative budget spokesman Cllr Allan Rankine (Bletchley Park) wanted a plan “aimed at saving existing business and saving jobs.”

    “I see most of the planned spend being frittered away on schemes that in my opinion will do little to help existing business,” he added.

    He called for more people to help businesses directly with their problems.

    But Labour and Lib Dem councillors spoke of creating jobs for the future.

    Cllr Jenni Ferrans (Lib Dem, Monkston) said supporting existing businesses is a “plan for unemployment” because many cannot recover.

    And council leader Pete Marland (Lab, Wolverton) said the council wants to create the jobs of tomorrow and not invest in “process driven jobs that are at risk of automation.”

    Part of the plan is to help people to retrain and learn new skills, while another is to support business start up companies.

    And Cllr Emily Darlington (Lab, Bletchley East) said businesses in the city centre had not asked for two hours of free parking to help their recovery.

    Cllr Rob Middleton (Lab, Wolverton) said free parking would add £1 million to the council’s already deep budget shortfalls.

    After the meeting local Conservatives re-iterated their call for Labour to “embrace free parking” at CMK to provide a boost to local jobs and businesses and encourage more people to visit the city centre.

    Cllr Walker said: “Labour and the Liberal Democrats must have their fingers in their ears and blindfolds over their eyes.

    “Milton Keynes is hurting and our retail sector is reeling but they are receiving zero support from their local council to boost footfall and get businesses bouncing back.

    “We’re calling on them to embrace free parking at CMK. We need to work together to support our retail sector in bouncing back so that people’s jobs and our local economy are protected.”

    READ MORE: Over two-thirds of people think free parking would help retail in Central MK, despite officials thinking otherwise

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