U-turn on parking charge proposals
In its first budget for the West unitary, the Reform UK administration has u-turned over parking charges after public backlash
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has u-turned on its plans to introduce new parking charges across Daventry, Towcester and Brackley in its final 2026/27 budget proposals following a public backlash.
The reversal of the planned parking fees was announced at a cabinet meeting yesterday, as the final budget, which will be the first of the new Reform UK administration, was also recommended to go to full council next week.
The authority confirmed last week that there would be ‘new concessions introduced to support short-stay parking’ in its market towns, but kept the final details under wraps until the meeting last night.
WNC said its decision was formed having listened to feedback from residents in a ‘record’ public consultation response. More than half of respondents said they ‘strongly disagreed’ with the council putting up fees and charges, raising concerns with the impact on independent businesses, the vitality of town centres, financial pressures on workers and volunteers, and more.
However other increases to parking charges across Northampton, including the removal of two hours of free parking at the weekend and concessions for blue badge holders, will stay in the authority’s final budget proposals.
A 4.95 per cent council tax increase, which would take the average charge for a band D property up to £1,959.40, was also put forward by the Reform UK cabinet, down from their 4.99 per cent proposal at the end of last year.
Cllr John Slope, finance member for WNC, said there had been significant developments since the draft budget was set in December, including an extra £6.5m than expected from the fair funding review.
He told the chamber:
“We’ve listened carefully to consultation feedback. We’ve come to the conclusion that we are going to withdraw the parking charges in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley so they won’t be applied.
“We really have been soul-searching, we’ve been looking at it, we’ve been analysing it from every angle and that is the conclusion that we’ve come up with.
“Financial sustainability requires ongoing discipline and difficult decisions. This budget provides a stable foundation, but future years will be challenging. This budget is honest about challenges, deliverable within our resources and professionally managed.”
‘A 74p gesture’
Addressing the meeting, opposition leader, Cllr Dan Lister (Conservative) said: “Reform have listened and they’ve reduced the council tax rise from 4.99 to 4.95 per cent.
“Do we know what that saves the average household here in West Northants? 74p a year. Council tax still rises by £92.42, yet here we are invited to celebrate.
“On the doorstep, Reform didn’t promise a 74p gesture. They promised to cut waste and cut taxes. When you make that promise face-to-face, residents assume you mean here, in this council, by you.
“Yes, you’ve withdrawn the parking charge in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley, and that’s welcome. But are residents really supposed to be grateful for getting back something that has always been free?”
Cllr Sally Keeble, leader of the Labour group, also commented:
“When I look at this budget, I see pages and pages about charges, particularly parking charges. I see nothing about some of the really big challenges which face this area.
“You now have a chance to set your own budget and own priorities and you still haven’t got a vision.
“I’d have sat here all night to get a sensible decision about what you’re going to do with the Children’s Trust, how you’re going to deal with the massive challenges coming down the line there, what you’re going to do about the adult services which we all know are likely to overspend again, and also what your going to do about the absolutely shocking situation around the housing.
“I hope you will also seriously give some justification for getting £6.5m from fair funding from the Labour government and your big idea is to use it to subsidise parking and to knock a few pence off the council tax.”
Lib Dem group leader Cllr Jonathan Harris said he welcomed the removal of parking charges proposed in market towns, but called on the council to also reverse its move to reduce the council tax increase by 0.04 per cent.
He held up a can of carrots in water, a pack of scourers, and on the “luxury end” a fajita pack for £1.49, which he said a household would be able to buy, depending on their band, with their council tax savings for the entire year.
“It will cost the council £110,000 in the first year, nearly half a million pounds in four years time and £1.5m, almost, in ten years time,” he said.
“You will not get that money back and it will go a lot further than you think it does. This is a showboating decision just so you don’t appear at the top of the league in terms of council taxes.”
He also flagged key themes identified in the public consultation, which included ‘broken political promises’, ‘lack of transparency and trust’, and ‘frustration, fatigue and lack of confidence’.
‘This is what local government reality is’
Responding to comments from the opposition, council leader Mark Arnull told the LDRS:
“Listening to our market towns was always one of the things the administration promised to do.
“We never pledged to reduce council tax. What I have looked at is the increase we put forward of a typical maximum allowed without a referendum at 4.99 per cent and looked at the very, very tight margins we have.
“The significance of 74 pence is that’s how tight it is. This is what local government reality is – there’s very little breadth in saving.
“Members have made the decision of 4.95 per cent [council tax increase] informed and very aware of that [cumulative impact].”
Most of the Councillors involved in setting the Budget for the new administration of Reform UK Ltd in WNC were formerly Conservatives. The same individuals that wrecked our Counties Economics wealth. They promised huge savings but...have come up with absolutely nothing. The other political parties are just as bad.
So Reform's reform is .04%. Sounds like no change to me. Will they confirm that they couldn't find any savings?