Once again Sefton Council seems hell-bent on “squeezing” Southport via its flawed and lopsided parking system. They are concerned about a shortfall of £90,000, due to inflation, extra running costs and the loss of 39 parking meters due to the untested pedestrianisation of Chapel Street.

What happened to the reasoning that the system was not about making money?

Instead of the further plundering of Southport in Churchtown, Birkdale and Ainsdale, currently being mooted, our party suggests that they install their proposed meters and new wardens in Maghull, where the LibDem Council leader lives, or in the Bootle area, where the Labour Cabinet member responsible for parking resides. Why not even install them in Waterloo and Crosby so that motorists can pay to view the statues on the beach?

Our long suffering Southport provides about 90% of the £3million+ collected in fees and fines, all of which disappears into Sefton’s black hole coffers.

We consider any system that relies on fines to make a profit to be immoral, as are rusty and poorly lit meters with tiny instructions that don’t give change and issue tickets that can blow away. All of this conveniently encourages honest but costly mistakes by the user.

For a Council with classic aspirations, this is an utter disgrace of which they should be thoroughly ashamed.