'No point' in holding charges meeting (From Gazette & Herald)

'No point' in holding charges meeting

A MEETING of councillors due to be held this week to discuss the controversial car parking charges in Malton and Norton had to be called off because no one invited was able to attend.

It had been arranged by Coun Paul Andrews to take place on Monday night at his Great Habton home, when the towns' representatives on North Yorkshire County Council and Ryedale District Council (RDC) had been asked to attend.

Coun Andrews said that while some had indicated they could not attend, others had not replied. "It seems very discourteous," he said.

He now hopes to arrange a meeting with the four group leaders on RDC - Couns Robert Wainwright (Ind), Keith Knaggs (Con), Elizabeth Shields (Lib Dem) and John Clark (Lib) - later this month.

Coun Allin Jenkins, one of Norton's representatives on RDC, said he had responded to Coun Andrews' e-mail inviting him to the meeting, but he had subsequently heard nothing.

"I had no idea where or when the meeting was to be held. Councillors couldn't go if they did not know where it was being held."

In response to Coun Andrews' e-mail, Coun Jenkins said he had asked what the purpose of the meeting was and what he hoped to achieve.

Coun Stephen Preston said: "There was no point in the meeting because the council is carrying out a car parking strategy which is likely to be ready for December."

He said he had advised Coun Andrews that RDC had established focus groups to discuss the car parking issue with commercial businesses, the two town councils and residents as well as having face-to-face interviews with car park users.

Updated: 15:25 Wednesday, October 05, 2005