'Tories cast free parking idea into gutter" - Woodhams

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Sep 2006

Free parking proposals for Thatcham are in question

Councillor Keith Woodhams today spoke of his disappointment of the decision by West Berkshire Conservatives to abandon Lib Dem proposals to introduce free parking into Thatcham Town Centre.

"I was disappointed by the lacklustre response of the West Berkshire administration to the positive proposals introduced by my colleague Alex Payton in an attempt to revitalise Thatcham Town Centre and help increase footfall in difficult times for Thatcham traders."

A statement from the Leader of the Council, Graham Jones, was read to a meeting of Thatcham Area Forum on 12th September, confirming that the portfolio member had decided to take no further action on the Lib Dem parking proposals.

Councillor Woodhams concluded:

"Thatcham residents and traders have been let down yet again by the Conservatives' petty penny-pinching policies. The things they do have money for, such as wardens, never seem to appear, and everything else they claim is too expensive to implement. Let's see some positive action to help Thatcham step out of Newbury's shadow."