Plan to end night-time parking charges for residents

10:24am Wednesday 23rd May 2007

EVENING parking charges for York residents are on the brink of being abolished, The Press has learned.

The proposal is understood to be among the headline policies to be tackled by City of York Council over the next 12 months.

One prominent campaigner against excessive parking costs today labelled the news "absolutely brilliant."

A formal announcement could be made as early as this afternoon at a press conference to be held at The Guildhall.

Today's meeting, which will end three weeks of post-election discussions and political wrangling, will also see an announcement made on who is to take control of the council.

The Press understands the Liberal Democrats are to form a minority administration, under the continuing leadership of Steve Galloway.

The Lib Dems have been reluctant to pursue such a route, but after Labour blackballed an all-party alliance, all other coalition talks subsequently proved fruitless.

Abolishing parking charges was among the top priorities for both Labour and the Conservatives going into the local election on May 3. The Conservatives advocated a complete abolition, but Labour pledged to scrap charges for residents, and The Press understands that policy is now likely to be advanced, using the existing Minster Badge residents' discount system.

Paul Abbott, sub-postmaster at Micklegate Post Office, said: "It's absolutely brilliant. It's common sense for people to relax and visit the city at night, without having any worries over parking charges."

Mr Abbott was a vociferous figure in The Press's Stop The Highway Robbery campaign, which was launched following the introduction of charges in 2003/04.

Today, he said the charges had "robbed us of the atmosphere we used to have in Micklegate."

Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said he hoped all charges would later be scrapped.

He said: "I would welcome this as a positive step in the right direction.

"I think it will be good for business in the city centre and good for the evening economy, and I would urge the council to go the whole way and abolish it for all."

Last November, The Press reported that car park revenue in York had increased by £350,000 compared to 2005, reversing any earlier slump.

Other policies for the next 12 months are likely to be a cross-party consideration of swimming and sporting facilities in the city, and a joint climate change strategy.

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