Lewes MP Norman Baker has today renewed calls for the administration of the controversial parking scheme in Lewes to be removed from NCP and instead taken in-house to be administered directly by East Sussex County Council.
His call follows the decision of Brighton and Hove council to terminate its dealings with NCP after 25 years. The council estimates it will save £3m by taking the administration back in-house.
Norman Baker says: "Confidence in, and support for, the Lewes parking scheme has withered away in the face of excessive enforcement and an inflexible approach. This is not necessarily NCP's fault - they are, after all, just carrying out a contract.
"Nevertheless, if confidence and support are to be restored, we need a new beginning, and ending the arrangement with NCP would be a very clear signal that the county will do more than tinker at the edges, which has been its approach to date.
"Bringing the scheme in house would increase democratic accountability, and enable a more sensible level of enforcement to be applied - something between the non-existent enforcement that we saw before the scheme was introduced, and the draconian approach now only too visible. That in turn would enable savings to be made in running costs, which could then finally release some funds for reinvestment in the town."
The MP will be taking the matter up again with the county council.
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