Car parking charges to rise in WN?
CAR-parking charges look set to go up as West Norfolk Council tries to claw cash back following the announcement of this year's central Government grants.
The council said it expected to get 300,000 more than it did and, coupled with 200,000 spending needed to fund Government-proposed plans to restructure authorities across Norfolk and inflation-busting costs for expenses such as utility bills, it has a shortfall of 800,000 this year.
Leader Nick Daubney said tough decisions would be needed to stand by a commitment to keep council tax increases below the rate of inflation.
He added: "While we will continue to invest in services important to local people we will review our discretionary services and the level at which they are provided and we will be looking at our income-generation streams, including car-parking charges."
The bad news comes as Norfolk County Council announces its share of Government cash was better than expected after an extra 12.7 million was made available to protect front-line services, reducing a shortfall it feared would reach 22 million.
Breckland Council saw a 3.5 per cent increase of 373,000 in its settlement this year. A spokesman said it was in line with what was expected.
Is it time to call "enough!"? Have car owners been penalised too much already? Or is the council right to make the polluters pay even more? Do you think car parks are treated too much like a cash cow every time funds run short, or should there be more penalties to keep the cars at home? Will increased car parking charges affect town centre business just as things are looking up, but also just when more troubled times in the high street may be just around the corner? Have your say, for or against. Write to: The editor, Lynn News, Limes House, Purfleet Street, King's Lynn, PE30 1HL, or email malcolm.powell@lynnnews.co.uk
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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