Basildon Council cave in to Conservative pressure to reverse car parking charging decision

It was some weeks ago that Basildon Conservatives wrote to the Administration about the resumption of parking charges in council-owned car parks in Billericay and Wickford. Basildon Council initially acceded to our request to delay the resumption of charging for four weeks in order to give our high street shops and businesses a greater opportunity to recover. Later, however, several Conservative councillors wrote to the Council arguing that charging should be halted for the duration of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. 

"We do not want the loss of free parking to be the economic straw that breaks the camel's back." ~ Cllr Malcolm Buckley, Spokesman for Economic Development

Cllr Malcolm Buckley, Basildon Conservatives Spokesman for Economic Development and a councillor for Wickford Castledon, wrote to the Leader of Basildon Council on behalf of Conservative councillors urging that the charges for using the council-owned car parks be suspended until the pandemic has subsided. He said: "We are concerned that, with the loss of the market in the High Street, footfall will be reduced and business will suffer as a consequence. We do not want the loss of free parking to be the economic straw that breaks the camel's back. Whilst it is recognised that seven day free parking has cost implications, the effect of losing businesses would have a greater impact on the Borough".

We are, therefore, gratified to learn that the Council have responded to our call by announcing plans to suspect parking charges until December. We are grateful to him for listening to us.