By Community Correspondent: Matthew Born

This Wednesday the House of Lords voted against the move, put forward by the Liberal Democrats, to put an end to the controversial and highly disliked parking charges motion in Richmond and Bushy Park. Instead the House decided to validate a motion put forward by a Conservative peer, which asked the government to re-think the decision without scrapping it altogether. Feelings were running high as disappointed campaigners vowed to “fight on” against the introduction of the charges. But why are they so unpopular?

The parking charges have come about to fill a funding void of nearly £3 million, brought about by £2.7 million upgrade of the car parks throughout the parks. The government aimed to recoup that money in 6 years, by introduced a £1 an hour parking charge that they predicted would bring them £430 000 annually. However, many people feel – rightly in my opinion – that they have a right to enjoy the parks without having to pay for them. An independent survey found that 84% of people asked opposed the introduction of the charges. With such a large opposition you would’ve thought the motion would’ve been stopped in its tracks. But still the government pressed it.

In an excerpt from a letter from Susan Kramer to the Kingston People, she said that she felt “betrayed” on having her fatal motion blocked. That is a feeling that will be echoed by the many local people, and the campaigners from the Friends of Bushy and Home Parks (FBHP) who have campaigned tirelessly against the decision. But was the Liberal Democrats’ decision to push the fatal amendment the right one?

With feelings running high against the charges it’s easy to try and take the most severe action possible. But that isn’t necessarily the right action. A Fatal Amendment would force the government to abandon all their other proposals, some of which are perfectly reasonable in and in the interests of the park user. It has been described as “clumsy and flawed” by Zac Goldsmith, a Conservative MP running for Susan Kramer’s seat, and he may have a point. There are those of course who believe that strong action is the only way to go, and that the Conservative’s motion will allow the government to pass it anyway.

Both methods have their flaws, and we can only hope that the right one has been chosen; because these new parking charges won’t benefit anyone.