Once again, Cornwall Council appears determined to push ahead with unpopular parking policies while ignoring the clearly expressed views of local people.

We are now being told that parking meters may be installed in areas that have, until now, remained accessible, affordable, & practical for residents, workers, carers, volunteers, visitors, & small businesses. This follows a major public petition opposing changes to off road parking at the fairground car park (Helston), which the council chose to disregard.

Thousands of residents took the time to sign that petition because they were worried about rising costs, shrinking access to town centres, damage to local trade & the steady erosion of everyday freedoms.

This doesn’t come across to me as consultation. Isn’t it as it appears to be? box ticking.

Even if Cornwall Council’s parking consultation team manages the process, won’t accept the petition through its official channels, it’s ultimately councillors sitting on the relevant committees who are supposed to represent their communities so they should take the feedback onto their own process. They were elected to speak for residents, reflect local views & challenge decisions that go against public opinion. In this case, it has been made abundantly clear what the public thinks, yet those views have been brushed aside.

When people are asked for their views, respond in large numbers, organise themselves & make their position clear, they expect their council to listen. What we have seen instead is a pattern where public feedback is gathered, quietly filed away & then overridden in favour of predetermined policies.

Now parking meters may be the next step.

Let us be honest about what this is really about.

Revenue.

Time & again, parking changes are justified using environmental language or management terms, it’s it true that in reality  these schemes are designed to bring in more money? Residents are being treated as a steady income stream rather than people who are already under financial pressure.

If revenue is the real driver, then honesty matters. So does fairness.
Which raises another serious question.

Why was County Hall, with its extensive free parking for council staff & visitors, not included in this consultation?

If charging for parking is so necessary, so unavoidable & so justified, then surely it should apply equally. Excluding County Hall for the process gives the impression of one rule for residents & another for the council itself.

Doesn’t that undermine public confidence even further?

what do parking meters & rising charges mean in practice? 

It means more expense for people who already pay some of the highest council tax in the country.

It means more pressure on pensioners, carers, shift workers, parents, tradespeople & low paid staff.

It means more barriers for those who rely on local services

It means more damage to struggling high streets.

It means more visitors choosing to go elsewhere.

All of this at a time when many families are dealing with rising bills, higher mortgages, food costs, fuel prices & ongoing economic uncertainty.

Parking is not a luxury in Cornwall. It is a necessity.

We are a rural county with very limited public transport. Many villages have few services. 

Many residents have no realistic alternative to driving. Penalising people for needing to park is not environmental policy. It is social exclusion.

Supporters of these schemes often talk about “difficult decisions” & “financial pressures”. But councils should not be treating residents as cash machines. Parking policy should be about access, fairness, safety, & supporting communities, not squeezing more money out of people who already feel under pressure.

If the council believes these changes are necessary, then it owes residents a clear, honest, detailed explanation. It owes them evidence. It owes them transparency. Above all, it owes them respect.

So far, that respect has been missing.

Ignoring a large public petition, dismissing widespread concern, excluding its own free parking from scrutiny, & pressing ahead regardless sends a dangerous message. It tells people their voices do not matter. It tells them decisions are made first & justified later. It tells them participation is pointless.

That is not how local democracy is meant to work.

Cornwall deserves better. Our residents deserve to be heard, not managed. Our councillors should be standing up for their communities, not waving through unpopular policies.

If you agree, please share this & make your voice heard.

#CornwallMatters

#ListenToResidents

#FairParking

#SaveOurHighStreets

#LocalDemocracy