Sir, – I have just returned from the meeting of the Community Forum for Alton and the surrounding villages at which the portfolio holder for financial matters on the district council presented his proposed budget for "consultation". 

He made much of the council's intention to maintain a zero council tax rise but was strangely confused when I pointed out that every time visitors to our paying car parks have to pay on a Sunday, it represented an incredible 17 per cent rise on their weekly council tax payment. Alton and Petersfield uniquely in East Hampshire, have to pay to park on any day. No other community pays to use an EHDC car park but our payments maintain their car parks.

Councillor Ferris Cowper is happy to defend this policy and is quoted in local papers as saying, "due to their heavy usage on Sundays, and the consequent wear and tear they suffer, it is important that our car parks pay their way." Can I ask the leader of the council why the same principle does not apply therefore to every other car park in East Hampshire? Why is it that this "fair and equitable scheme" is fair for Alton car park users but apparently not fair for the people in Grayshott for example where Councillor Cowper, coincidentally, might park his own car on a Sunday? 

What is clear is that councillor Cowper has a vendetta against the people of Alton because they have the audacity to exercise their democratic right and elect a Liberal Democrat majority. Once again our completely toothless lead councillor for Alton was silent when he should have been supporting the people and businesses of Alton who are so disadvantaged by this unfair scheme. Once again I call on him to resign.

The chief finance officer for the council also made much of a new investment in excess of £50,000 in setting up a community web site. This amount is pretty similar to the revenue generated by the charging for Sunday car parking. There has been no public consultation on this yet the council is prepared to spend this huge sum on setting up a facility that might be completely useless to the community. 

They have however received over 4,000 signatures registering the opposition of local people to Sunday car park charging. Such is the arrogance of this administration however that they largely ignore this representation, making a token reduction in charges, but go ahead with the untested and duplicated web site at the same cost. 

The current administration is hoping that eventually we will give in and pay up. No chance! We will fight this every way we can. We shall not submit to the bullying of the leader of the council. We shall continue to represent the people and businesses of Alton so that in this dreadfully tough commercial climate, our shops and enterprises can compete with those of other settlements in East Hampshire on a level playing field.

 

Jerry Janes, Leader East Hampshire District Council Liberal Democrat group, London Road, Holybourne