Cllr Richard Heseltine: ‘There must be many others with company cars in a similar situation’

AN independent councillor has been refused a parking permit despite having lived in Islington for more than 30 years.
Councillor Richard Heseltine’s application was turned down on the grounds that his new car is registered to his second home in Devon.
Now, he is pleading with the Town Hall to give him his “taxpayer’s rights” on the basis that he uses few council services.
Cllr Heseltine, who has never previously had a problem obtaining a permit to park outside his Gibson Square home, said: “I find it ironic that a councillor, who by definition has to be resident in Islington, is refused a residents’ parking permit.
“We pay the top rate of council tax in this rather nice square. We only want three things – our garbage removed properly, planning applications to be dealt with expediently and somewhere to park our cars.
“We don’t use the schools. We tend to buy our own books rather than use the library and we don’t use the social services. We don’t ask for much.”
Cllr Heseltine claims he is raising the parking issue on behalf of others as well as himself.
He said: “I used to have a company car, which was registered elsewhere and I was granted a permit for that. There must be many others with company cars in a similar situation.”
A councillor for 12 years, he says he is considering joining the Tories if Kenneth Clarke is picked as their leader.
He said: “I think he’s an attractive prospect. I admire any health secretary who can wander around hospital wards wearing Hush Puppies, smoking cigars and telling patients to stop bed blocking.”
Tim Newark, of Local Freedom Party, which is concerned with parking issues, said: “It shows how absurd the whole controlled parking regime is that a councillor who clearly represents people in this borough can’t even buy his own permit.
“It sums up the whole ridiculous situation.
“The real problem is that the council is selling permits not really guaranteeing people a space outside their own house or even in their own street.
“Rather than helping residents to park, they are actually making it more difficult and cutting down spaces.”
Cllr Steve Hitchins, leader of the council said: “The permit system is designed to be fair to everyone, even if some are frustrated by the rules sometimes. Cllr Heseltine should contact the council again to find out what he needs to do and what information he would need to provide to help us try to sort out his permit application.”