A councillor is to face questions over a potential abuse of privileges.
Labour Cabinet member Clr Peter McBride has been named as the councillor whose car was left for days in a pay-and-display car park in St George’s Square, Huddersfield.
The car was displaying an elected member’s parking permit which allows councillors to park in all Kirklees Council car parks for free.
The Ford Focus was spotted just before the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival got underway last Thursday but may have been there longer.
The parking area, close to the Kings Head pub next to the railway station, was closed off during the food festival. Huge yellow skips were dropped either side of the car and the area was shut off with security fencing.
It is believed the car had been left for several days but has now been removed.
Long-serving Clr McBride, first elected to Kirklees in 1987, is one of the most senior councillors. His Cabinet responsibilities are the economy, skills, transportation and planning.
Council leader Clr David Sheard said he could not explain what had happened.
He confirmed the car, which also had council documents and papers visible in the back, belonged to Clr McBride who was due to return home after a two-week holiday in Spain.
Clr Sheard said he had tried to contact Clr McBride to no avail. He said he needed to find out if he had parked the car himself, merely forgotten about it or if it had been stolen and dumped.
“My reaction is that it should have been towed, whoever’s it was,” said Clr Sheard.
“It is very clear that councillors can only use these permits when they are on council business. If Peter has parked the car himself and left it there he is breaching his agreement for the permit.”
Asked what action would be taken if that was the case, Clr Sheard said: “We will have to see what he says about why it was left there.”
Readers who commented on the story on the Examiner website also asked for an explanation.
One said: “Surely the Kirklees Council permit is not meant as a perk for free holiday parking at the station? Also leaving on display all this material shows sadly a total respect for the privacy and importance of council business.”
Another added: “Why are such permits even in existence? This looks like blatant abuse of position.”
The latest controversy comes just weeks after it was revealed that six councillors had been issued with a court summons for non-payment of council tax.
Two of them, councillors Jean Calvert and Amanda Pinnock, were later suspended by the Labour Party after outbursts to the Examiner.
Both have been accused of bringing the party into disrepute and face an official inquiry.
Clr Sheard said he would be speaking to Clr McBride and would be reminding councillors of their responsibilities.
Clr McBride, who represents Dalton and lives in Fixby, did not answer his mobile or his landline at home.
