Overpriced council car parks cost £180,000 to lay empty

The Wiltshire Liberal Democrats have revealed that Wiltshire Council's empty and expensive car parks are costing Council Taxpayers money, whilst making shoppers stay away from our town centres.

In 2012/13 the Liberal Democrats put a fully-costed plan to Wiltshire Council to reintroduce 1 hour free car parking. Wiltshire Conservatives rejected this plan and now the car parks are set to cost tax payers an overspend of almost £200,000 this year alone.

Meanwhile our high streets, starved of shoppers, are struggling.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, leader of the Wiltshire Liberal Democrats, said,

"Wiltshire Council should be supporting our high streets by providing the first hour's car parking free. When one hour free was provided in December even more shoppers than expected used car parks, shopped on our high streets, and as the council's own figures demonstrated the decline reversed.

"Council Taxpayers are losing out and our high streets are suffering as a result of Wiltshire Conservatives refusing to adopt a Lib Dem plan that has been proven to work."

It's time to protect our high streets, and the public purse by supporting the Liberal Democrat plans for Wiltshire.