Vote to cut free parking in Wimbledon Village was 'undemocratic'

Conservative councillor Miles Windsor said Labour members of one of Merton Council’s scrutiny committees had “nodded through” plans to cut free parking near shops in Wimbledon Park and Wimbledon Village, and he questioned whether they were undermining the committee’s standing.

Following the scrutiny committee’s decision the current 20 minutes of free parking offered in the affected areas will now be cut to 10 minutes.

After complaints the plan had been drawn up without due regard to the impact on traders, it was called in at a meeting of the council’s sustainable communities overview and scrutiny panel.

Prior to the meeting the plan was also strongly criticised by businesses who said profits would be hit at an already difficult time.

At a meeting on Thursday, October 27, four Conservative and independent councillors called for the plan to be re-considered by the authority, but the remaining four Labour members backed it – including the committee’s Labour chairman, who had the deciding vote.

Councillor Windsor said: “Scrutiny is about holding the administration to account and it is fundamentally undemocratic if members are predisposed to nod through their party’s policies.

“Scrutiny on Merton Council needs to be looked at and reformed so that there is some level of integrity.”

Councillor Nick Draper, one of the committee’s Labour members, said the allegation that administration policies were nodded through was “totally untrue”.

He said members had thought hard about the arguments but decided to back officers’ recommendation.

Coun Windsor said the plans themselves were “anti-business and anti-Wimbledon, calling them madness in times of serious economic difficulty and unfair to the west of the borough”.

What do you think? Leave a comment below or contact Craig by calling 020 8722 6336; tweeting @Craig_Burnett or emailing: cburnett@london.newsquest.co.uk.