ONE of the Wiltshire councillors responsible for voting in the parking charges that have caused outrage in Salisbury has issued an apology in the wake of the Journal’s Show Some Sense campaign.

Richard Clewer, who lives in Whiteparish but represents Salisbury St Paul’s ward on the council has sent a letter to the Journal admitting he was wrong to vote in favour of removing the one-hour parking tariff from the city’s car parks.

He said: “I think it is important for politicians to apologise when they make a mistake, so I will start with that. I misjudged the removal of the one hour parking tariff from Salisbury car parks and would like to apologise to the electorate for doing so.

“After talking to people in the central car park and shop owners, I realised that we (and I) made a mistake with parking charges.”

"I have been working to try to change it for the last three weeks."

He said that he voted in favour of the new parking strategy of which the charges are a part because it helps to address residents’ parking issues that affect those living in his ward.

He has pledged: “I will do everything I can to get a one-hour parking charge re-introduced, I can’t promise success but I will try.”