Letter: Two Car Park U-turns Leaves Us As We Were

Published on: 22 Jan, 2019
Updated on: 22 Jan, 2019

The front car park at Millmead House

From Gordon Bridger

hon alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

Along with the Duke of Edinburgh, I am in the 90-years-old and over drivers club.

And, after ninety years on this planet, I thought I had finally arrived when I belatedly discovered that I was entitled to free parking at Guildford Borough Council’s offices in Millmead!

Even His Royal Highness would have to cough up if he decided to skid to a halt and park up his Range Rover in Guildford to grab a Big Mac at the Friary Centre. Town centre parking is, after all, a treasured commodity (not to mention a nice little earner for the council).

So I fully appreciated being given the right to park for free, so near to the centre. It showed I must really be loved by those we must obey.

Imagine my devastation when, before my application had even been processed, the privilege for all us hon freemen and aldermen was withdrawn.

Was it something I had said?

Or, was it that I asked under a FoI which councillors had been consulted about the new policy?

Then yesterday (January 21, 2019) another turnaround! It seems someone has decided that us “honourables”, mostly in their eighties, can carry on parking as before.

Let us hope that the policymakers do not use the car park themselves. That number of sudden decisions and U-turns, in quick succession, makes me worry that if their driving is like their policy-making, things could be tricky for the rest of us.

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