We, the undersigned, petition Norfolk County Council not to spend any public money on providing further car parking spaces at County Hall, but to spend that money instead on projects benefiting the front-line public services which the County Council has severely cut back.

Background to the Petition:

The County Council is proposing to spend £1.9m on a scheme to provide more car parking for staff at County Hall. This cannot be justified. The County Council has already made substantial cuts to services, including cuts to children's and adult social services. It has also incurred considerable additional costs resulting from the Covid crisis. The County Council is on record as having a £19m funding gap in the current year and anticipates a similar shortfall next year. In July approval was given for the County Council to be taken to the High Court over cuts to support for people with learning difficulties. Against this background no public money should be spent on providing more car parking as proposed. Instead the money should be used on projects to benefit the front line services which have suffered cuts. Alternatively, funding should be devoted to projects assisting more County Council staff to work from home or to travel to work by bus, cycle or on foot. Spending £1.9 m to build more car parking spaces during this climate emergency would also conflict with the County Council's stated commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions from its operations.