Labour-run Merton Council has again refused to abandon its plans for a diesel tax which unfairly targets residents living in CPZs without access to off-street parking.
Conservative councillors had "called in" Labour’s decision for consideration by a cross party scrutiny panel after it ignored the overwhelming opposition expressed by respondents to the recent statutory consultation. However Labour councillors rejected calls to reconsider the introduction of their diesel levy from next month which will now also be applied to teachers at the borough’s schools. They also voted down a Conservative motion calling for parking permit charges for all electric vehicles - whether cars, vans or lorries – to be reduced by 50% as an incentive for motorists to switch to electric vehicles and help reduce air pollution in Merton.
Speaking after the "call in" meeting on Wednesday 15th March, Cllr Daniel Holden - Conservative Spokesman for Transport, Parking and Cleaner Streets - said:
"Just like their proposals to scrap the weekly bin collection, Merton Labour aren’t interested in asking residents what they think about this new diesel tax. Their only concern is the £2million it will generate for the council coffers over the next 3 years.
"Countless residents and teachers have been in touch to say they simply didn’t know this was happening. Yet from next month they are expected to pick up the bill for Labour’s financial incompetence as the council desperately tries to plug its £18million budget hole.
"Even when forced to consult, the council doesn’t listen to residents’ views. Although 94% of respondents to the recent statutory consultation opposed the new diesel levy, Labour councillors ignored this, bulldozing through their plans to hike up the cost of parking permits despite promising to freeze them until 2018.
"If Merton Labour were serious about tackling the air pollution problem in our borough, they wouldn’t have voted down Conservative proposals to reduce parking permit charges for all electric vehicles by 50% or dragged their feet on our calls to introduce anti-idling measures. They prefer to tax Merton’s residents and teachers instead of cleaning up the diesel vehicles that form the majority of Merton’s own fleet. It’s one rule for the council and another for the people it is supposed to serve."