An executive councillor approved implementing a charge of £400 for people to get white lines painted outside their home – without it going back to the council as agreed.
Lincolnshire county councillor Charlotte Vernon said a decision to approve a charge on H-bars across Lincolnshire has not followed the agreed scrutiny process, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Oliver Castle.
H-bars, which are long white lines with small bars at each end, are not legally enforceable but are used to try to advise people to avoid parking outside a particular home or business or near to a dropped kerb or crossing.
The council had previously paid for this, at a cost of about £25,000 a year, but wanted to pass the cost back to those who requested it, saying other councils did this.
At a highways and transport scrutiny committee meeting on September 14, councillors agreed to defer a decision on the matter amid concerns he charges could hit disabled and low income residents hard.
But just over a week later, on September 23, the executive member for highways and transport David East subsequently approved the charges and said minor details will be considered by councillors at a later date.
Coun Vernon said: “It’s disappointing that the recommendations of the scrutiny panel were not taken on board.
“My understanding was that no decision would be made until further information had been presented to the scrutiny panel for us to consider the decision in its entirety.
“However, Coun East has approved it and said it will come back with some minor amendments. I don’t feel that’s what happened at the scrutiny panel.”
Coun Vernon also warned that H-bars risked becoming something “that is only for those who can afford it” and suggested that a “discretionary reduction” should be introduced for disabled people.
She believes that the decision should be deferred to allow highways bosses to examine the concerns raised.
In response, Coun East, said: “I have agreed the principle of introducing charges for H-bar markings.
“Work is being undertaken by the officers on the traffic management framework within which this will fall, and this will receive the additional scrutiny required before the process is complete.”
Adam Round, head of design service at LCC, added: “Coun East has made the decision that LCC would be charging for the installation of H-bar charging and that is as far as the scheme currently stands.
“There is more work to do on this scheme and during the last scrutiny session where it was agreed that some of the finer details behind the charges will go on to be finalised.”
The authority said an online application process will be developed which will enable people to apply and pay for a H-bar marking and officers will consider the applications and decide whether a marking is necessary.
The council said it will not make any profit from the proposed charge and the money generated will cover the costs of the contractor carrying out the work and officer time to process the applications.
