Liberal Democrat District Councillors have renewed their call for the District Council to introduce half-hour free car parking in its car parks.

This follows the Tory Leader of the Council saying, “The District Council does not encourage residents to pop and shop into our market town by lowering the cost of short term pay-and-display parking.”

It appears, from this statement, that the Conservatives believe that residents who need to pop into town to a cash point or collect dry-cleaning should pay a high charge in a council car park or compete with residents to park on residential roads.

This has to be wrong. The District Council should be taking the lead in promoting the viability and vitality of our market town and should be encouraging all residents to come into and use the shops in the town.