A REVIEW of car parking price hikes in Powys has been complete for three months – but has not been shown to councillors while it is being 'refined' by council staff.

Earlier this month Powys Independents councillor, Graham Breeze expressed his outrage when a Economy, Residents and Communities meeting was cancelled at short notice.

A presentation on the outcome of the long-awaited review was supposed to have been on the agenda.

Cllr Breeze tabled a number of questions to Liberal Democrat cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Jackie Charlton.

And he now says he has been left "horrified and disappointed" at the reply he received.

Cllr Charlton said: “The final report was submitted on April 30 to officers to prepare the cabinet report.

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“The original time frames were always going to be tight and to ensure the working group had sufficient notice to bring together a politically balanced group of councillors and offering places to stakeholders on the working groups.

“Our aim was to enable councillors and stakeholders to attend workshops to fit their requirements.

“Additionally, the workshop members requested face to face meetings with consultants and officers which added to the cost and to the delays.

“There was also a necessary period of refining the report for both scrutiny and cabinet to make decisions.”

Cllr Charlton said the report was withdrawn from the scrutiny meeting after a joint meeting of cabinet and senior staff on July 16.

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Cllr Charlton said: “There was lack of agreement on the recommendations after a full discussion prior to scrutiny."

She added she was now attempting to provide a report that was backed by all parties.

Cllr Charlton said it cost £49,796 to hold workshops for councillors and stakeholders including the extra face to face meetings.

Cllr Breeze said he believed it is “totally unreasonable” to suggest the delay in publishing the full review is down to those who sat on the panel.

Cllr Breeze said: “It is also extremely unfair to intimate that a huge consultant’s bill of nearly £50,000 is down to the thoroughness of the councillors and stakeholders who volunteered their time and effort to engage in the review process.

“Who would have thought that it was unrealistic for councillors to meet face-to-face with the consultants?”

He added that he “could only assume” that the disagreement between cabinet members and senior staff on what decision to recommended was because the report contents are "not to their liking".

Cllr Breeze said: “While we delay our residents continue to be faced with £2.50 fees for popping to the shops and our town centre business owners continue to tell us that footfall is being damaged by increased car parking costs.”

The car parking fees were increased as part of the 2023/2024 budget by the Liberal Democrat/Labour/Green administration which came into force in April last year.

A review was begun before a motion from Powys Independents councillors Graham Breeze and Gareth E Jones calling for one could be tabled.