By Councillor Diane Neil Mills, Abbey ward (Conservative)

We were pleased with the decision taken by Merton Council on Wednesday to reverse last year’s decision to reduce the free 20 minute parking to 10 minutes across Merton. 

We, the Conservatives, firmly opposed the reduction of the 20 minute free bays when introduced by Labour last year but were unable to prevent it without the support of the Merton Park councillors.

Our only disappointment with the final decision taken by full council last week was that it only “asked cabinet” to restore the free 20 minute parking, rather than demand immediate implementation of the free 20 minute parking, as the Conservatives had proposed. 

If the Labour Cabinet again chooses to ignore the will of council, we will bring back yet another motion to council.

When the reduction of the 20 minute bays was introduced by Labour in March 2011, they argued that the savings were necessary to balance the budget, yet the outturn of that budget is now expected to generate a surplus of over £12m.

The motion we introduced on March 7 not only proposed restoration of the 20 minute free parking with immediate effect, but also proposed to extend such free parking bays across Merton to other local shopping parades wherever possible. 

Certainly in the ward I was elected to represent, Abbey Ward, businesses along Kingston Road are in no doubt about the devastating impact of the lack of parking. 

We believe it is right and fair to give all businesses the same opportunities to succeed and the motion we put forward would do exactly that.

We were therefore extremely disappointed that not a single Labour, Liberal Democrat or Merton Park councillor supported our motion for immediate restoration of the 20 minutes and extension of the free 20 minute parking elsewhere. 

Not only was it disappointing, it was most curious, given the fact that businesses in the wards that they represent, West Barnes, Merton Park, Mitcham and Morden, would all welcome the introduction of free 20 minute bays.

As a nation, we are facing one of the highest high street vacancy rates in recent history, at over 14 percent, yet as a council we are failing to use one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to help support businesses: provision of parking.

Although we have now been defeated twice in our attempt to improve parking conditions for businesses in Merton, we remain totally committed to resolving this totally unacceptable situation and will continue our fight to do so.

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