The leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has responded to Leek Labour councillors' calls for a "rethink" of changes to car parking charges in the town after a petition against the changes received thousands of signatures.

Leek Nub News reported previously how Leek's Labour councillors called for a rethink of plans to increase parking charges in the town after a petition against the changes received over 2,000 signatures in just a few days.

The petition was created in response to the council's decision to increase the charges and make short stays of up to 30 minutes free in some car parks.

However, fees will now be charged from 8am - 6pm, meaning an end to the free parking the town has previously enjoyed after 3.30pm, in a move that has not been popular with some residents.

The district council's Conservative leader, Cllr Sybil Ralphs, has shared her thoughts after Labour councillors released a statement "urging the Cabinet to think again" and "listen to the people" in the wake of the decision.

Cllr Ralphs called the statement a "politically motivated and hurriedly put together diatribe", and said that Labour councillors didn't raise any concerns at the time when the plans were being drawn up.

Cllr Ralphs told Nub News: "The proposed car parking policy has been under discussion for weeks.

"We made absolutely sure that it went through the whole scrutiny process, where debate could take place, questions could be asked, and criticism expressed by any member; happy in addition it was also presented at a Cabinet meeting.

"There were no concerns raised by the Labour Group members at any time during the whole of the scrutiny process.

"People only need to play back the webcast of the relevant meetings to hear the debate and the comments raised by other Groups. Objections were not raised in meetings or by personal contact via email or telephone to the Leader of SMDC or any member of Cabinet by the Leek Labour Councillors, their Leader, or indeed by any Labour members from Biddulph.

"The Cheadle councillors asked for the existing free parking times in Cheadle, ie before 9:30amand after 3:00 pm to be retained, and we agreed to this request and made the appropriate adjustment. No such request was made by the Leek Labour members to apply the same criteria to Leek.

"It is rather late in the day for them to raise objections now but perhaps they have had a knee jerk reaction to the petition?

"A further point I would make is that the Labour Leader says that they asked for a review of the policy after twelve months; that is not true. It was Cabinet who made the offer of a review of the policy after twelve months: a review that will cover all three towns, including Leek.

"Free parking periods are being offered in certain car parks in Leek to reduce congestion in the town centre and to make best use of capacity. The Labour Group either don't understand this or choose not to for their own political reasons.

"One only has to read their politically motivated and hurriedly put together diatribe, to realise that their election campaign for Leek 2023 has started somewhat early."