Downham Market councillors debate on Jubilee Community Centre car park and town centre charges

Downham councillors have voted to push back the adoption of their business plan in order to iron out a series of contentious issues.

At the full Downham Town Council meeting on Tuesday, members raised a number of problems with the proposed plan - including the inclusion of car park charges as a potential income source despite this not being fully agreed yet.

They also debated over refurbishment plans for the Jubilee Community Centre, with contrasting views aired on whether a car park can be installed in a financially viable way.

It is currently free to park in the town’s car parks, which include popular ones such at The Hollies, Paradise Road, the town hall and Priory Road, with no set time limit.

Over the past year, councillors have clashed on whether to introduce payments - with some worried it could “kill the town”.

On Tuesday, Cllr Valerie Leivers said she therefore does not believe car park charges should be included in the council business plan as a source of potential income before any decision is made.

She was informed this may include electric vehicle charging points.

Meanwhile, Cllrs Justin Lewis and Tony Leach said they want to have a car park installed at the community centre.

“I was a bit disturbed at seeing this, because it does basically mean you don’t do any work for another two years at the Jubilee Community Centre,” Cllr Leach said.

“We have got the stuff to do the car park. We have almost got the money, so I don’t want to put it off two years.”

However, Cllr Charis Brewer suggested that the council does not even have “half of the materials needed to lay the car park” - and that it does not have the budget either.

Cllr Jacqueline Westrop agreed, and even though she admitted the work will be a “necessity” in the future, she said it would be “premature” at the moment.

Downham mayor Cllr Barry Hobbs added that it did appear that the £100,000 touted for the work was “very rounded” as though those involved did not know how much would be required.

Cllr Leavers proposed to have the business plans sent back to the council’s governance and finance committee to be reviewed and altered, and her fellow members voted her suggestion through.