A consultation is to be launched after proposals to reconsider a decision to introduce charges for disabled parking and parking in country parks were defeated.

A special meeting of Wrexham Council’s employment, business and investment scrutiny committee was held to decide whether to send proposals to introduce charges – as well as fees in country parks across the county – back to the executive board to be reconsidered.

Last month the Leader reported a consultation over the disabled parking charges had been halted after Labour group councillors called in for a review a decision made by executive board colleagues.

The charge, which as a concession would see disabled blue badge holders being afforded one additional hour beyond the time paid for, was set to be implemented from April 3 – following approval at a full council meeting next month.

But following a lengthy and at times fiery debate, the call-in motion was voted down, meaning statuatory consultation into the proposals can now be launched ahead of them being implemented.

Executive board members hope to raise about £25,000 a year through disabled parking charges, while proposals to introduce parking charges at country parks would bring in £47,000 per year, according to estimates.

Lawrence Isted, head of environment and planning, stressed to councillors that if the proposed charges were not introduced it was likely they would have to find an even more unpalatable alternative.

He said: “About two years ago when the environment and planning department was formed, we worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers to create future service models.

“We went through a long list of things that were easy to achieve in terms of savings and they have all been done.

“Following that we went through the amber things and now we are firmly in the red area.

“If we go further we are talking about reducing core activities.

“What we are doing here is seeking to charge a relatively small amount for the most accessible car parking spaces in the county borough.

“It is a judgment call at the end of the day and we will do a statutory consultation but the overall impact is considered to be marginal compared to some of the things we could do.

“We have to decide what would have the least effect on the most vulnerable people in Wrexham.”

Cllr Marc Jones (Plaid) said it would have been better if the alternative options had been made clear to them so they could decide for themselves if they were less palatable than the parking charge proposals.

Labour group leader Cllr Dana Davies moved a recommendation to send the decision back to the executive board for further consideration but her proposal was voted down by seven votes to five.

The subject matter cannot be called in again and a statuary consultation into the proposals will be launched in the coming days.

Plans are also afoot to introduce charging for elected members and council staff, though that would be considered an internal matter and therefore no wider consultation is needed to implement them.

l THE call-in notice stated: “The executive has failed to fully consider and inform members of the financial impact the new infrastructure and signage will have in realising the proposed budget income.

“The executive has failed to inform members of the risks to council if the proposed budget income is not realised, thus putting unnecessary additional pressures on an environment budget which regularly overspends.”

Other reasons for the call-in, as stated in the notice, include the executive failing to demonstrate a mitigation plan for the impact additional disabled parking would have on town centre roads and side-streets as a result of the charges, and a failure to consider and inform members of the impact to enforcement resources as a result of implementing parking charges in all county parks.

The final reason given for the call-in was that the executive ‘failed to consider council policies and plans in pursuing the proposed budget income of charging for disabled parking.’