THE expected full council debate over parking charges in Weymouth town centre, scheduled for this week’s Dorset Council evening meeting, is now in doubt.

Council leader Spencer Flower has declined to answer a claim that his ruling Conservative group will vote to push the question of parking fees levels back to the Cabinet later in the year.

Opposition councillors claim the Conservative group will seek to avoid a full public debate on the issue at the full council meeting in Dorchester tonight.

A public petition has called for an immediate reduction in town centre fees to the same level paid in nearby towns.

Several public questions to the council meeting are asking for a reduction in the charges – town councillor Matt Bell claiming that some people are now missing medical appointments because they cannot afford to pay to park.

He claims that tourists are filling up the cheaper car parks, away from the town centre, leaving locals driving around looking for parking, adding to air pollution, only to end up in the most expensive car parks.

Added Weymouth town councillor Christine James in a question to the Dorset Council meeting: “Parking should not still be a ‘cash cow’, the detrimental minuses to residents include those missing a doctor’s appointment because the charges are extremely high for many. As we don’t have a bus service of any value people need their cars. Trying to be ‘green’ is all very well but a combination of all those things are having a serious consequence on Weymouth economy.“

Littlemoor and Preston councillor Louie O’Leary has described the charges as a tax on the town residents for having a beach.

In a question to the meeting he says: “Weymouth is being particularly penalised by the new beach levy which is effectively a tax of geography. Why are we charged more because we have a beach? Visitors come across Britain and the world to Dorset to see our beaches, but also our market towns; Goulds Hill, Sherborne Abbey, Wimborne Minster, Corfe Castle, Portland Bill and other non-beach related attractions - yet we are penalised.

“Will the cabinet member look to scrap the beach levy and ensure a fairer rate for all across the county and instead re-direct his approach to filling car parks in winter and maximisation current parking space areas?”

The petition calling for an immediate reduction in Weymouth parking fees is on the agenda for this Thursday’s full council meeting at County Hall, which starts at 6.30pm – with the petition presenter, Nigel Sims-Duff, being given three minutes to speak.

Opposition councillors claim the ruling Conservative group will then ask for the petition not to be debated, but referred back to the Cabinet, where the decision to raise the parking charges came from in the first place.

“It looks like we will end up with no debate about the petition, but a debate about whether or not it should be referred to the Cabinet,” said Lib Dem group leader, Cllr Nick Ireland.

He says that a full discussion on the petition should take place involving all councillors at the Thursday meeting. He said that  to allow it to be referred back to the Cabinet would place the item into the hands of only Conservative councillors, who promoted and backed the new fees.

Council leader Cllr Spencer Flower did not answer a direct question put to him on Wednesday about whether his group would take steps to avoid a full council debate about the petition on Thursday. Although asked for a direct reply personally, as Council Leader, he passed the question to the council’s communications team to respond.

In their statement they claim the issue is procedural, rather than political.

It says: “The petitions scheme provides that unless the petition is referred to a committee (which includes the Council’s Cabinet) without debate then the petition will then be debated by councillors.

“The main options open to councillors in the Full Council meeting are set out below. We will need to wait until Thursday evening to see how councillors want to proceed: To debate the petition in the full Council meeting and make a recommendation to the Cabinet about what should happen or Not to debate the petition and instead to refer it to the Cabinet for the debate to take place there, after which a decision will be made by the Cabinet or Not to debate the petition and instead to refer it to an overview committee for detailed consideration before a debate and decision at Cabinet.

Whichever option councillors decide upon, the petition will be debated. Councillors will need to decide whether that should happen in the full Council or at a committee/Cabinet.

Whatever happens the final decision on car parking charges is one for the Cabinet and so councillors will need to decide whether the petition should be debated at the full council meeting as well as at the Cabinet meeting.

It is also worth pointing out that any debate at Cabinet is heard in the main council chamber (and video streamed, with public attendance, the same as full Council), and any councillors – whether they sit on Cabinet or not – are allowed to participate.”