LOCAL reporters were forced to make a legal challenge to be allowed to attend a meeting between Abergavenny Town Council and Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet member for highways, Councillor John Harrhy and head of highways David Harris on Wednesday after the county council's representatives objected to the Press being present. Following the challenge it was decided to admit the Press to the meeting, which had been requested to allow town councillors the chance to air their feelings about proposals to introduce car parking charges to previously free car parks in Monmouthshire. During the discussion, Mr Harris explained that the decision to introduce car parking charges resulted from a deficit of £395,572 in the authority's car parking budget and admitted that the council had already received more that 100 letters of protest from concerned residents. "The deficit is the equivalent of around ten teachers, so what you are suggesting is that the council should continue to subsidise car parking and sack ten teachers," said Mr Harris Suggestions that the shortfall should be covered by a rise in council tax were rejected by the council representatives, who said that the National Assembly would have capped their budget had the increase in council tax been increased. "The car parks are there and are used and have to be maintained and the costs met. If we do this through the precept everyone in the county pays, if we charge for parking then only the people who use the car parks pay," said Councillor Harrhy. He added that pressure on the council's highways budget was' immense', with £42 million needed to bring the county's infrastructure up to standard. "We need to spend some £5million a year and have a budget of £2.2 million - we are losing the race and we can't go on subsiding the car parks," he said. Town councillors however criticised the decision to consider charging for car parks, pointing out that Abergavenny - which contributes some 50 percent of the total parking income - would become the only town in the county without a free car park and raised concerns that if the estimated income did not reach its target, fees could rise again. Mr Harris also defending the recommendation to withdraw the £1 overstay fee, saying it was 'not well used' in the county. Despite the discussions, town councillors were largely unconvinced. "These are hard times and increasing these charges and bringing in new ones will drive people out of Abergavenny town centre and into places like Brynmawr and Ebbw Vale cutting trade in this town," said Councillor Graham Preece.
