Parking lease row (From Stroud News and Journal)

Parking lease row

CABINET members at Ebley Mill have fended off criticism from opposition parties over the leasing of 12 public car parking spaces to Cheapside developers Chelbury homes.

The decision to give up the Cheapside spaces on a five-year lease came under fire from opposition councillors at Stroud District Council's last meeting on Thursday, December 2.

Independent councillor Janet Wood (Ind, Coaley and Uley), quizzed regeneration cabinet member Nigel Studdert-Kennedy (Con, The Stanleys) on the controversial decision, asking: "Is it to become the practice of this authority to provide car spaces to private developers from public land rather than requiring them to provide their car parking requirements from their own resources?"

Cllr Studdert-Kennedy revealed that the decision was taken by officers, not council members, and that the council had consulted with Stroud Town Council and the Ward councillor for that area.

But the embattled cabinet member then had to respond to outspoken criticism of council planning policy from Green councillor John Marjoram (Trinity).

The veteran green crusader asked: "Does the council consider everything which is big, brash...takes money directly out of the local economy and puts up rents and house prices, but has a 'regeneration' tag attached, is good news for Stroud, or any other town in the district?"

Clearly irritated by the tone of the question, Cllr Studdert-Kennedy replied: "You make quite a habit of such attacks. The answer to your question is no.

"If we wanted to wreck Stroud we could have done a better job in a much shorter time."