Lib Dems formal objection to Chiltern District Council's Pay and Display Proposals for Great Missenden Submitted to the Council Consultation on 16th February

12.00.00am GMT Sat 16th Feb 2008

On behalf of Great Missenden, Prestwood and Heath End Liberal Democrats I would like to object strongly to the current Council proposals to end all free 1 hour parking on Link Road, High Street and Station Approach in Great Missenden.

These proposals are ill thought-out and unnecessary, and come on top of the recent Parish Council decision to end all free 1 hour parking in the Link Road car park. One inevitable consequence of this proposal, should it be approved, will be to drive business out of the village to local supermarkets where shoppers can enjoy free parking. This is surely the least sustainable option, but one that the Council appears willing to encourage. At a time when rural communities such as Great Missenden are under intense pressure to survive as "living" villages, the Council should be doing all it can to encourage visitors, rather than put them off using local shops, services and other facilities. I for one do not want to live in a "dead" commuter settlement.

There is clearly an urgent need for a proper review of parking in Great Missenden, alongside a much broader commitment to address the woefully inadequate public transport, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure locally. But these current parking proposals have been rushed out without any effort to actually listen to the people most affected by them. It is now vital that local residents, businesses and groups are consulted properly before any new suggestions come forward. In the meantime, the current plan to end free 1 hour parking in Great Missenden should be scrapped with immediate effect.

Yours sincerely

Yours sincerely

Seb Berry

Chairman

Great Missenden, Prestwood and Heath End Liberal Democrats