In Sandwell Council’s view they have now finally been successful in introducing parking charges (Halesowen News 11th April) in Old Hill & Cradley Heath.

We are told this was necessary in order to bring both towns in line with the rest of the borough and yet, they were happy to allow a “lengthy public consultation period” prior to the final decision.

Now it turns out that despite the objections of many local residents, businesses, retailers and their valued customers, the proposal has been approved.

Of course when questioned, it’s very predictable for Sandwell’s Labour cabinet member for neighbourhood services, Cllr Ian Jones, to instantly blame Government cuts as the reason for his unpopular decision but I was very surprised for him to refer to the council having only received a handful of objections!

I have it on very good authority that, in fact, in Old Hill two separate petitions were raised, by the traders and businesses, both strongly objecting to the proposal and siting, amongst many other reasons, the negative effect they felt it would bring on trade in the town and also the inconvenience that potential on-street parking would bring upon the local residents who live in surrounding roads.

Both petitions had a combined total of in excess of 1,000 signatures from like-minded customers and local residents. These petitions, along with several other individual objections, including one from our local MP James Morris, were presented to the council in advance of the meeting at which the proposal was to be considered by the cabinet member.

Surely Cllr Jones this cannot, in anyone’s estimation, be regarded as a mere ‘handful of people’? To add insult, on hearing about the petitions even one of our local councillors showed very little empathy or support for the traders and local residents by informing a shop owner that they were probably wasting their time, as it was in her words, a “done deal anyway”!

This makes a complete mockery of any lengthy consultation period that Cllr Jones alludes to in your newspaper report, and also in respect of public petitions for that matter, particularly if they are to be simply dismissed without so much as a second thought for the possible negative impact these decisions might have on our local area.

Sandwell Council believes that the introduction of these parking charges will now help them to recover some costs for maintaining their car parks in Old Hill and Cradley Heath, however, in doing so, what they may have overlooked in the long run is the much greater drop in business rates revenue that could occur through the potential loss of trade as a consequence of their decision.

Liz Bowler

Old Hill