IT should come as no surprise to anyone that the income generated from car parking charges is showing a huge deficit for this year. With another three months' 'income' to be added, and as I constantly predicted, this form of revenue would never achieve its aims.

The final figures for car-parking charges are likely to achieve a loss of circa £50k for the year 2012/13.

This is costing you, the taxpayer, £1,000 per week for a loss making service.

In response, the cabinet member for Efficient Council (Cllr Robinson) said: 'the council is satisfied with this situation'.

As an elected member of the FoDDC, I will tell him that I am not satisfied along with many other district councillors.

Is he satisfied that his predicted golden windfall from car-parking charges has failed so miserably, and at what cost?

Failed businesses in and around our towns; losses of jobs, shoppers taking their custom elsewhere.

How deluded – while Rome burns!

He is also clearly satisfied that he presides with his fellow cabinet members, over an annual deficit of £150k which covers other services. Further financial 'disaster' awaits the community when a briefing on the predicted budget income is to be revealed – it will not be welcome news for us taxpayers.

In December 2012 I requested an immediate community impact assessment to evaluate what impact the car-parking charges were having on our towns. This was delayed until July 1 2013, when it was decided to do an 'in house' assessment.

I can tell you now Mr Robinson, don't bother with a review, as the figures will show that you have failed miserably with using car-parking charges as a means of raising revenue.

Despite my efforts to be heard, and the cabinet always insisting that they are 'so right', they must take full responsibility and be held to account for their ineptness and total fiscal mismanagement.

I would also call upon the cabinet to give a briefing to all elected members to explain how their failure is 'good news' for the Forest, and promotes 'thriving economies'.

The case for retaining both Redbrook and Mitcheldean car parks as free car parks has now been proven.

They do not generate sufficient income to be a viable option in that charging regime. Effectively the other car parks are paying for these two loss-making car parks.

May I remind readers when car parking charges were introduced it was stated by Coun Robinson that the council needed to charge in order that car parks were not subsidised but were self-financing. The cabinet should remove car parking charges from Redbrook and Mitcheldean now.

The fiscal mis-management of FoDDC has to stop now, and those responsible for this shambles ie the cabinet must be made accountable for this disastrous state of affairs.

I therefore call on all councillors to take the necessary actions to implement changes at our next full council meeting on October 24, by replacing this present cabinet with a cross-party group of councillors.

Further, the political group leaders of the Labour and Independent groups, together with UKIP and the Lib/Dems, must show our electorate that we also have a voice. At this time the Conservatives hold 17 seats and the remaining 31 seats are split between the other parties.

The Forest off Dean electorate are asking us to represent them. They deserve and should demand better representation than that imposed upon on us by this autocratic and failed cabinet.

Enough is enough – it really is time for elected members to stand up and be counted. The electorate can also make their feelings know on September 26 2013 when two district council bye-elections take place in Coleford (East) and Redmarley.

If we fail our electorate now, then those wishing to be elected in 18 months or so time should beware – remember this year's county council elections – you really couldn't write this stuff.

Paul McMahon

District councillor

Coleford East