Dear Neighbours,
Parking is a very real problem. When I was living in Chiswick we fought a successful campaign against the council implementing controlled parking zones. All they did was make the problem worse in the next area, and generate more overhead / inconvenience for the local community, Or if your prefer income for the council.
Something like 1/3rd of income comming into WHBC comes from parking. Our councils are encouraged to behave like businesses. We think this is a mistake. If they want to be busineeses fine. Be a business. If they want to be Public Sector service providers serving the community, which is what we pay them for, then they should do that.
This is in effect indirect taxation. It has the political advantage of keeping down the Council Tax, but the issue that people pay at point of use. The problem being that the people who really need to get out and meet people, the poorer famililes and the elderly cannot afford to pay for the parking, driving loneliness and wellbeing in wrong direction.
In other words NOT providing a Public Service.
The truth is that it is all about getting more money into the public sector. I see this all over the place. The Public sector needs money, of course they do, it should however be clear where it comes from, what it will be used for, what suucess looks like and who is responsible for delivering against those community needs – Some accountability for value.
How are we doing on this? Well trends over time are a useful guide.
Since 1990 Public sector salaries have more than tripled. Are Public Sector Services 3 times better? No they are worse because the councils think they are running businesses. They then think that entitles them to empire build and pay themselves more money.
They should remember that their only purpose to serve the community by provding the best value for money services available. It has become about Careers rather than Caring. And that is a mistake.
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