Swansea councillors claim back parking charges on expenses
SEVEN Swansea councillors have claimed back a new parking permit charge through expenses.
Last year the authority announced both staff and members would have to pay to use a civic car park — a move which could make an estimated £265,000 a year.
Council leader Chris Holley called on members not to claim back the cash through expenses because council staff could not.
However, the names of seven councillors who have claimed the money back have been obtained by Councillor Peter Black through the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Black said: "Council employees are not in a position to claim back the parking fee which has been brought in to encourage people to use other modes of transport and also so that those working in council offices are on a par with other city centre employees."
Mark Child, Robert Francis- Davies, Erika Kirchner, Alan Lloyd, Byron Owen, David Phillips and Des Thomas have made the claims.
Swansea Council Unison branch secretary Mike Davies said the charges had to be put into context.
He added: "We haven't had a pay increase for years, there's a pay-grading exercise at the moment which is likely to be financially detrimental to a high number of people and central government is examining our pensions. I imagine our members would feel pretty annoyed they are claiming it back."
Mr Owen said he had a permit, but could not remember whether he had claimed back the money and Mr Child said he had claimed the parking permit charge back because he "had been advised to", adding: "I've never claimed my travel from council meetings. I have claimed mileage on occasion."
Mr Francis-Davies said he had not claimed mileage in the past three years, adding that he had taken council-related trips to cities such as Bristol and covered the costs himself.
"I'm not making any travel claims; some people's are quite considerable and if they are doing legitimate (council) work they are entitled to it," he said. "I do not think staff should have to pay to park: they are paying to work. I think these charges were pushed through and it was tokenism on Mr Holley's part."
For staff earning up to £15,000, the yearly charge is £99; for those earning up to £30,000 it is £198; up to £50,000 the charge would be £297; and staff earning more than £50,000 a year will have to pay £399. There will also be a charge of £25 for replacing lost permits.
Mr Phillips added: "Just as mileage is a legitimate expense, so is this charge. However, it is a personal decision for each councillor whether they reclaim it or not. Personally, and although I do not normally claim expenses, I did claim part of this fee as a matter of principle, as I have always considered that the policy is ill-timed, ill-judged and ill-thought- out and is not fairly applied to all staff in the authority — and I said so at the time.
"When the debate over car- parking charges for staff and councillors was discussed at length in council the Labour Group were quite clear we felt it wrong staff and councillors were being required to pay to do their jobs in order to fund the deficit.
"However, the money I reclaimed has been donated to charity."
The Post contacted Ms Kirchner, Mr Lloyd and Mr Thomas, but they were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
Mr Holley said: "I'm surprised any members have opted to the make the claims."
helen.keates@swwmedia.co.uk
23 Comments
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by gorseboy
Monday, August 08 2011, 8:01PM
“siarad2
OK,where have you been?
Logic,the best form of attack and defence.
The Englishman T.H.Huxley wrote: Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.
A Scotsman said that Laws are meant to be broken.
Trouble is no matter who breaks them t'is only the one who is caught is punished.
The Great divide of them and us still exists,even in Swansea.”
by Jabba67
Monday, August 08 2011, 5:39PM
“I think it is ridiculous council staff have to pay to park on land that is owned by their own employers - never heard of such a thing. It is only because it is a pay and display car park (paxton st car park) the public are whinging. For the person who said tescos staff pay to park - no they don't, they park on tescos car park free same as other supermarket staff. Hospitals, university, DVLA, Police etc don't pay to park because like the council they own the land they park on. If they're going to do something then why not do it across the board, why stop at council staff after all they (hospitals, uni, police, dvla , other govt bodies ) are paid in same way as council staff and get the same pensions. Whats next, pay to park outside our own house? Think about it.”
by odinhouse
Monday, August 08 2011, 2:33PM
“Councillor Peter Black through the Freedom of Information Act - Look's as if He has Shot him self in the foot, and has he is also a AM he should strand down as a County Councillor and any other Councillors that are AM's, it should be one man one Job and also only one Master, Not Two, so Peter black think before you start Mud Slinging, as it will always Rebound, and trying to score Brownie points doe's not work always, Show's it's coming up to Local Elections next year,, and this time he will not get back in via the back door ( Top up System )”
by Siloh
Monday, August 08 2011, 2:26PM
“Strange that Councillor Black highlights something as small potatoes as Car Parking Fees. Perhaos the Taxpayers Alliance could do a proper disclosure of information job on all the expenses claimed buy our Councillors?
Who knows what else could be lurking and why only highlight Labour expenses? Let's see what else is out there.”
by siarad2
Saturday, August 06 2011, 7:35AM
“gorseboy
OMG you're being logical, help! reality strikes run for the hills political dynamite here.
Well they make the laws don't they, lawmakers can't be lawbreakers.”
by gorseboy
Friday, August 05 2011, 8:03PM
“Siarad2.
Yes they are sneaky,but if they claim to work from home.Why do they need a car?
One cannot have the cake and eat it!”
by korgsn
Friday, August 05 2011, 3:18AM
“Again I feel this is a argument of public sector verses the private sector. I dont think that they should be allowed to claim parking back on expenses. If you worked in Tesco, Boots or anywhere thats part of the private sector you are expected to pay to park your car. Just because you might work for the council I dont think you should get any more privileges than the private sector worker!”
by westcoastswan
Friday, August 05 2011, 2:22AM
“councillor philips should resign has he is an embarrassment to swansea and especially after his outburst about the swans. the swans have done more for swansea than these councillors have ever done.”
by lizadoolittle
Thursday, August 04 2011, 10:45PM
“2 Jobs Peter Black has got a nerve spouting off about some Councillors claiming back parking expenses when he has repeadedly claimed back parking fees from the Assembly - one was for JUST 80p - the scrooge.
If we are talking about claims lets look at some of Councillor Peter Black AM's other claims..
Nearly £60 thousand as an AM - PUBLIC MONEY
SECOND home in Cardiff - PUBLIC MONEY
We pay all the rent for the second home, including council tax, gas, eletric, broadband, telephone and sky - PUBLIC MONET
HUNDREDS of pounds every month for travelling expenses even though he has a second home in Cardiff - PUBLIC MONEY
We fund his staff [all Lib Dem cronies] - PUBLIC MONEY
We fund his office, which includes, telephone, broadband and amenities - PUBLIC MONEY.
Lets move onto Swansea Council.
Councillor Black Am claims just under £13 thousand for his basic allowance - PUBLIC MONEY
Not bad jobs if you can get them.
Councillor Peter Black and the rest of the Lib Dems are parasites sucking the lifeblood out of Swansea. This Lib Dem pantomime has gone on for long enough the people of Swansea must fetch the curtain down on the financial mismanagement of this Lib Dem administration Council.
Roll on the local elections in May 2012.”
by Stevenkillay
Thursday, August 04 2011, 10:13PM
“Can somebody help me? Is it possible that "Labour Leader" David Phillips is one of this 'Magnificent 7',
he of the "Swans should pay more rent" fame?
The man setting out to slay, and eat, the goose that lays the golden eggs?
Surely a man with such strong convictions could pay his own parking charges.
By the way, forgive me if I've got this wrong, the 'partnership' between The Ospreys, Swans and Swansea Council, would I'm sure be discussed at the 'Partnership Overview and Scrutiny Committee', of which Mr Phillips is a member, but sadly Mr Phillips failed to attend any of their meetings in the previous year.”