Last month I published an article on these pages reporting on the outcome of a Highways Committee meeting at which Coalition members in county hall gave the go-ahead for the council to introduce parking charges at Crimdon. The full article can be found in this link: Coalition members give the green light to parking charges at Crimdon
The decision to impose parking charges on visitors coming to Crimdon was made at a meeting of the council's Highways Committee held on Tuesday 17 September 2024 in county hall where I represented the views of the many local residents and businesses who had contacted me to express their concerns about the charges and how they would deter people from visiting the East Durham coast.
The main concern I raised was about how the charges would affect businesses at Crimdon and how they would have a negative impact on the wider local economy in nearby villages like Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery. However my words fell on deaf ears and the charges were given the green light to proceed despite my objections - and despite the support I received from Labour members of the committee.
The comments I made when addressing committee members, along with details of how the decision was reached, have now been published for public information. The relevant minutes can be found at Agenda Item 3, from pages 3-6 in the report pack in the link attached: https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=311&MId=15736