IF you have a small deficit on an account you might call it a loss – but not Forest of Dean District Council leader Cllr Patrick Molyneux.

Cllr Molyneux (Con, Woolaston and Hewelsfield) is adamant there is only a ‘shortfall’ on the district’s car parks and not a loss.

The council’s strategic overview and scrutiny committee was told although parking charges covered the direct cost of the service and some of the indirect but there was a shortfall of £6,000.

Cllr Molyneux said: “The car parks cost us money to run. When they were free the council and the Council Tax payer picked up the entire cost of running the car parks.

“We introduced what we felt was a modest fee to help cover the cost of running the car parks. 

“There is a slight shortfall between the income generated and the actual costs  so instead of us plugging the entire gap we have a slight shortfall.

“It is absolutely not right to say it is a loss. It was never set as a target.

“We wanted the fees to wash the face of car parking and they just about do it. 

“If we had no car parking fees then we would be facing an additional £180,000 additional charge to the Council Tax payer to run the car parks.

“Parking fees cover those costs. It is absolutely wrong to say there is any loss – it is not a loss, it is income we never had to lose in the first place. 

“It’s a fine balance between washing its face and losing a little bit or gaining and on balance I think we’ve got the balance absolutely right. 

If you wanted to guarantee it would wash its face you would have to put up parking charges and I don’t think anyone wants to see that.”