Conservative county councillors seem confused over whose cars are essential and whose are not.
Council staff have limited parking in Oxford and obviously only those needing their cars on council business during the day are allotted spaces.
But the Tory administration feels it essential for councillors to have parking spaces as near as possible to County Hall when the council holds its meetings.
They have asked staff who normally need to park in Macclesfield House car park in New Road to park elsewhere on these days.
That means that the staff will have their valuable time taken up with walking to and from car parks some way away, possibly several times during the day.
But the councillors, who are in fact commuters, are now allowed to park just down the road while they sit in council all day. I questioned this at last Tuesday's meeting. I was told it was a long-established arrangement. I have not found anyone who remembers it -- and certainly no-one from the other political groups was consulted about the idea, as was alleged in your earlier report on the subject.
Are we to think that the Tories value their time way above that of their staff who are providing the public services they say they value?
This cannot be a welcome message for those hard-working staff in education or trading standards.
If councillors need to drive into Oxford and cannot use park-and-ride, would it be too much to ask that they park in the Westgate car park, for which they will be reimbursed anyway?
Jean Fooks (Councillor)
Liberal Democrats
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