A NORTH MP has branded proposals to use a town's parking fees to upgrade its crumbling bus station as double taxation.

Hexham Tory Guy Opperman says the Lib Dem suggestion would amount to daylight robbery with taxpayers paying twice for what should come out of council coffers.

Hexham Lib Dem county councillor Derek Kennedy suggested last week that the £375,000 raised annually from Hexham’s parking charges should be ring-fenced and used for local projects including much-needed renovation of the central bus station on Priestpopple.

But Mr Opperman, who was one of hundreds who signed a petition last year calling for the station to be rebuilt, said: “This is scandalous.

“Our bus station is the responsibility of Northumberland County Council and our residents already pay their council tax just like everyone else in the county, so why should they have to pay twice?

“This is double taxation on our residents. It’s disgraceful for the Lib Dems to take our residents’ council tax then tell them to pay for local investment themselves.

“I don’t know how anyone can even try to justify that. Either we are part of the county or we are not.

“To just take local council taxpayers’ money and give our town nothing in return is daylight robbery.”

The Conservatives and Labour groups on the Lib Dem-controlled county authority have suggested free parking in market towns to boost the local economy.

But Mr Opperman said it was unfair that Ashington, for example, was being given a new £20m leisure centre plus free parking while Hexham people would have to fund their own bus station improvements.

“What do our residents pay their council tax for?” he said.

“Why does everywhere else in the county get capital investment from the county council? It is simply not on.”

Hexham Central Tory county councillor Terry Robson backed the MP, saying: “A relatively small sum of money could do an enormous amount of good for our town.

“Hexham needs its bus station upgrading and it is shameful nothing has happened so far. Once again Hexham is at the back of the queue when it comes to investment from the county council.

“Residents should be able to expect a fair share of county council funds ... that isn’t too much to ask.”

Coun Kennedy said: “If you pay for parking you can see that you are investing in the town where the money is raised.

“Keeping the money local resolves the issue of some towns paying for parking and some not.

“If towns don’t want to pay then they don’t raise any money for traffic issues. It’s pretty simple.

“This is a much better solution to traffic management than the Conservatives and Labour are suggesting.

“Their free parking for everyone scheme means there will be less money to invest in the market towns. and Hexham would be left with a run-down bus station.”