ON a day when the vast majority of councils around the country collectively reported income from car parking of £500 million, Forest of Dean District Council proudly reported a loss.

During the relevant period, UKIP repeatedly warned FoDDC and the public that charging for parking would lead to losses, so no one should be surprised, but worried they should be.

Councillor Robinson – he of surely the most contradictory title in Local Government, 'cabinet member for efficient council', has consistently reported gross income which includes VAT, despite the fact that nearly 17 per cent of the income was directly payable to central Government.

Back in 2007 when car parking charges were on the agenda, as FoDDC councillors, both Venk Shenoi and myself were instrumental and vociferous in preventing their introduction.

The business case simply did not add up and nothing has changed, other than the sheer incompetence of the introduction of the charge itself.

FoDDC have made a loss, footfall in our towns has fallen dramatically, businesses have closed.

UKIP Forest of Dean carried out a survey of town centre businesses in Lydney which showed turnover down on average by about 25 per cent, but, FoDDC took no notice except to make irrelevant excuses such as blaming the London Olympics!

It is ironic that the car park in Redbrook took just £1,547 in the nine months to March 31 2013, this despite a near £100,000 makeover in 2009/10. Car parking, the £450,000 reception refurbishment and the near £1 million spent recently on new wheelie bins all point to a misuse of taxpayers money that is the well-versed hallmark of FoDDC.

Venk Shenoi was pretty much spot on in his 'real Conservatives' letter last week and I applaud him for writing it.

Meanwhile, UKIP Forest of Dean will continue to campaign for the reintroduction of free parking and for common sense to replace the politically-correct driven bureaucratic madness that as detailed above still prevails.

Who exactly is running FoDDC? Because the organist appears to have done a runner.

Councillor Alan Preest

Lydney