Conservative Leader Councillor Mark Weston has been contacted by a resident angered by the standardised response received from transport officers when submitting comments on a controversial local Transport Regulation Order (TRO).
The incident has arisen in the context of planned parking charges at ten district car parks around the city (reference: CAE/RGW/P-1337) with the statutory consultation on this proposal closing on 12th December 2025.
Having emailed objections to the TRO specifically as it applies to Westbury Hill Car Park (Westbury-on-Trym), the complainant received a template reply stating that comments would be collated into a report for “… either the Service Director for Transport, the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, or to a meeting of the Cabinet, for consideration as to whether the traffic order/proposal should go ahead with or without modifications or be abandoned.”
This message contains a clear error in its referral to the Cabinet – which held its last formal meeting on 9th April 2024 and was disbanded on 5th May 2024 - when the Authority reverted to a committee form of governance.
Cllr Weston (Henbury & Brentry) said: “I was really disappointed to learn of this clumsy and easily corrected mistake or oversight that reflects badly on the transport directorate.
“In regulatory matters, precision and an eye for detail is very important and to let this blunder go uncorrected for the duration of the consultation period looks unprofessional and is fundamentally disrespectful of this whole process.
“Conservative Members managed to negotiate a stay-of-execution for a year on these parking charges, and we continue to believe that it is a very bad policy.
“Of course, legally, the grounds for objection now are quite narrow and determined by the reasons given for the TRO itself.
“Here, I would argue that regulating use through charging is unnecessary, is bound to negatively impact local businesses, and will impose a disproportionate financial burden on residents and visitors.
“I fully understand and sympathise with local people who have been angered by this suggested change at Westbury Hill Car Park.
“It is also infuriating when respondents engaging in the consultation are then presented with an outdated, factually incorrect message. This is something which naturally creates the impression or suspicion that their views won’t be taken seriously in this matter.
“The Council needs to up its game in dealing with the public particularly at a time when more and more automated services are being introduced as a primary point of contact.”
