CARE workers in Winchester city centre will be able to get free parking as the city council clarifies its stance.

The issue was raised at full council when member of the public Rebecca Butler called on the city council to give free parking to social care workers as it does to NHS staff.

Ms Butler said: “The nature of domiciliary care work is solitary and time-pressured. Nearly always women, on zero-hours or agency contracts, many from immigrant and BAME communities, their work is emotionally draining, physically demanding and low paid. They are typically allocated a 30 minute slot per patient and not paid for their travelling time between patients. They must fund their own costs of fuel, car usage and parking; all of which erodes their hourly rates to below the minimum wage.”

She said care workers had been getting parking tickets from council traffic wardens.

Cllr Martin Tod said there has been an informal arrangement for such workers to get free parking since the start of the pandemic.

Councillors backed a notice of motion from Conservative councillor Stephen Godfrey for such workers to park for free either on or off-street. The motion stated: “That this council recognises the exceptional service given by care workers who have continued throughout the pandemic to deliver essential care services in the home for the most vulnerable residents in our district by the council arranging for them to be able to park for free either in on- or off-street parking spaces controlled by the council while they are working to provide care at home.”

They spent some time arguing over a successful Lib Dem amendment to add the word “continuing” to get free parking. Tory group leader Caroline Horrill said adding ‘continuing’ was a “weasel word... Clearly whatever has been happening it is not clear to the public, the care workers and the people they care for”.

Cllr Martin Tod, Lib Dem Cabinet member for service quality, said: “We are absolutely committed to support for carers – and our focus is not just on car parks, but also in Controlled Parking Zones in the residential areas where carers do most of their work. Currently, as you highlight, we allow anyone who is linked to the NHS or critical care providers to have free parking.

“We keep vehicle records for multiple care providers allowing them to park for free near to where they need to provide care.”

Lib Dem councillor Kelsie Learney said she did not want to see the free parking abused.

She said: “It would have been helpful if the Conservatives had done their homework on this and asked what was possible and what was being done. We all agree care workers deserve this and we shoud just be getting on with it.”

Independent councillor Judith Clementson expressed exasperation at the arguing at nearly midnight. “I have been here six hours listening to people arguing about everything. We are arguing about an amendment which is totally unnecessary. I ask the council to come together and get the job done without saying ‘she says black, I say white’. It is not a way to run a council. It’s embarrassing.”

Cllr David McLean asked that as carers had been fined when there was an informal policy whether they would be refunded. The question was not answered.