21st August 2008
The Government has rebuffed suggestions that a minister told local councils to raise parking charges.
On Wednesday it was reported that John Healey, minister for local government, had made the call in a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA).
Referring to research into all forms of charging levied by local authorities, Mr Healey had told the LGA in July: "Only one in five councils are using charging to the full potential."
"Not just to cover costs but to shape their area - reducing congestion, improving levels of health and exercise, encouraging the use of local shops - and half of councils don't even have a clear policy on charging to guide their decisions on how to use their powers."
The minister's comments were widely reported in the media, including the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, as a call for local councils to charge more for car parking in town centres.
However, the Government has said that Mr Healey's comments were taken out of context.
A spokesperson for Communities and Local Government said: "The Government is absolutely not telling councils to charge more - it is up to local councils to make these decisions. And they should not use decisions about charging as an alternative to cutting out waste and driving down expenditure.
"The point John Healey was making in his wide-ranging speech to the Local Government Association in early July, was that councils should have a clear financial strategy on which to base decisions about whether - and if so how - to use charging and other financial powers available to them.''
The LGA declined to comment yesterday, referring to comments made in January by its chairman, Simon Milton, that "councils will rightly adopt charging policies to local circumstances".
IMAGE PA
Government refutes parking charge claims
On Wednesday it was reported that John Healey, minister for local government, had made the call in a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA).
Referring to research into all forms of charging levied by local authorities, Mr Healey had told the LGA in July: "Only one in five councils are using charging to the full potential."
"Not just to cover costs but to shape their area - reducing congestion, improving levels of health and exercise, encouraging the use of local shops - and half of councils don't even have a clear policy on charging to guide their decisions on how to use their powers."
The minister's comments were widely reported in the media, including the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, as a call for local councils to charge more for car parking in town centres.
However, the Government has said that Mr Healey's comments were taken out of context.
A spokesperson for Communities and Local Government said: "The Government is absolutely not telling councils to charge more - it is up to local councils to make these decisions. And they should not use decisions about charging as an alternative to cutting out waste and driving down expenditure.
"The point John Healey was making in his wide-ranging speech to the Local Government Association in early July, was that councils should have a clear financial strategy on which to base decisions about whether - and if so how - to use charging and other financial powers available to them.''
The LGA declined to comment yesterday, referring to comments made in January by its chairman, Simon Milton, that "councils will rightly adopt charging policies to local circumstances".
IMAGE PA
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