A LAST-DITCH effort to delay parking charges in Northwich has failed.

In July, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s cabinet approved a document that sets out the council’s parking strategy across the borough over the next 15 years.

That decision was called in by several councillors, including Cllr Gaynor Sinar, CWAC ward member for Davenham and Moulton.

Speaking at the council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on September 14, Cllr Sinar said she was ‘incensed’ by the timescale of the parking charges set out in the document.

The Tory councillor said: “Our purpose in bringing the call in of the parking strategy to scrutiny is to ensure the administration gives full and detailed consideration of all the issues and puts the needs of the borough, its residents and businesses, at the heart of this policy.

“In its current form, the parking strategy fails to do this.”

Cllr Sinar, who is also chairman of Northwich BID and owner of Curtain Magic in High Street, called for a detailed economic impact assessment to be undertaken for each area, to be completed in three to six months.

The parking strategy states that a full economic impact assessment will be carried out when the action plan has been created for each area.

Cllr Karen Shore, CWAC cabinet member for environment, said: “Action plans always follow strategies, that’s the way things are done in local government, that’s the way it’s always has been done, irrespective of whatever political party is in charge.

“I think it would cause – if the strategy didn’t go forward – more damage, more harm than good and I believe that is the right way forward.”

It was proposed at the meeting that the cabinet delays the implementation of the borough-wide parking strategy until such time as a full economic impact assessment has been carried out and used as a basis for the action plans and can be included in the next round of consultations.

In a named vote, five members voted against the proposal and four voted in favour.