Former councillors should be able to keep their free parking, a committee at East Devon District Council (EDDC) has concluded.

This is despite a controversial decision by the council to double its car parking fees from April in all 21 of its seaside car parks and by 50 per cent in six of its other ‘prime location’ car parks.

Honorary alderman titles, awarded to former members in recognition of ‘eminent service’ to the council, come with the benefit of free parking in all EDDC’s car parks.

As part of discussions on how to update the in-house awards system, the council’s scrutiny committee decided the privilege should stay.

Speaking at the meeting, Conservative councillor Maddie Chapman (Exmouth Brixington) argued: “I think car parking is fine. It’s the only perk you get for working for years and years and years for your residents.”

When considering the idea of removing the privilege, Cllr Champman said: “It’s a bit mean, isn’t it? C’mon, they’ve put a lot of service in. I don’t think it’s a lot to ask to be quite honest.”

Councillor Mike Allen (Conservative, Honiton St. Michael’s) agreed: “I think it’s rather petty not to recognise good people. Every organisation tends to do that and it’s a shame if we don’t. Long-serving members should be considered.”

Councillor Helen Parr (Conservative, Coly Valley) added: “I very much doubt they [free parking passes] cost this council very much and I think it’s just a nice gesture that they get that very small freedom to park.

“It’s not very much and I think it should continue.”

Since July 2003, 30 Conservative, eight Liberal Democrats and four independents councillors have been handed the alderman title.

A motion for a ‘grandfather clause,’ allowing current aldermen to keep their parking passes but preventing new ones from receiving the privilege failed.

Councillor Olly Davey (Green Party, Exmouth Town), one of the members who supported that idea, said: “We may think we give great service, but that’s not always the public perception of us as councillors and I’ve heard any number of people when I’m knocking on the doorstep say to me instead ‘well you’re all in it for yourselves.’

“Lots of people put in good service and don’t expect any perks at the end of it” he concluded – and that people should not be encouraged to drive anyway.

The scrutiny committee discussed ideas on how to update the appointment of alderman. Its recommendations, including proposals to revise the gender-based name of the title, will be discussed again at a full council meeting and as part of a proposed new ‘alderman working group’.

The shake-up comes after it was revealed former Conservative East Devon councillor and Exmouth mayor John Humphreys was awarded the title in December 2019 while under investigation by the police for sexual assault of two boys between 1990 and 2001.

Mr Humphreys was arrested in 2015 and bailed the following year for crimes for which he was eventually convicted and handed a 21-year prison sentence last August.

His arrest and subsequent release under investigation first became public when he appeared at Exeter Magistrates Court in November 2020.

Ahead of the debate at the scrutiny committee, Councillor Tom Wright (Conservative, Budleigh and Raleigh) said former Cllr Humphreys had been “convicted of the most abominable crimes that shocked and shamed us all.”

The council is looking into to what to do to improve the process for electing alderman. Some want the procedure to be updated to create more scrutiny and clarity. Others, including the leader of the council, Paul Arnott (Democratic Alliance Group, Coly Valley) want the title to be scrapped altogether.

A report outlining the current process has been sent to members by the council’s chief executive.

Councillor Paul Millar (Labour, Exmouth Halsdon) criticised the report, saying: “We are none the wiser on which councillor nominated Mr Humphreys nor whether any officer was in the knowledge that he was facing serious questions and could have intervened to advise the nominees that the award was not appropriate while the investigation was live.”

“What it does show us is that the alderman system has been abused by the Conservatives, handing awards out like sweets in a secretive way with no transparency or criteria beyond those vague provisions in the 1972 Act.”

Conservative councillors disagreed and said the high number of the party’s members nominated reflected the higher proportion of Tory councillors elected to the council over the years.

The Labour group wants to see the honours’ process “overhauled” with an appointment panel providing greater scrutiny and transparency.

Cllr Millar added: “The role of honorary aldermen or alderwomen is a unique award offered to the most hard-working, eminent and respected former councillors.

“This should be kept that way and entrenched to ensure the highest standards of aldermen appointments.”