Evening parking decision is due

9:45am Saturday 23rd June 2007

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DRIVERS should know within days when evening parking charges will be abolished for York residents.

As reported in The Press on Thursday, opposition parties on City of York Council complained that the Liberal Democrat administration was taking too long to scrap the charges.

Their abolition was agreed as part of the 2007/08 policy prospectus, drawn up by all parties following the May 3 election, but the Conservative and Labour groups were unhappy with the speed of progress.

They wanted the matter to go to the council's urgency committee, and those calls have been met. The committee will consider the issue on Tuesday lunchtime.

Conservative leader Ian Gillies said today: "It's about time really. I am happy that we are seeing some action at long last."

The Tories' manifesto had called for the complete abolition of evening parking charges, rather than only for residents. Coun Gillies said this may be a first step to that end.

Labour leader David Scott also welcomed the decision. He said: "It's a big win for common sense. There was no need to delay any more. We have saved at least two weeks, if not longer. The report is ready, so why not deal with it."

Coun Scott said Tuesday's meeting should clarify the timetable for scrapping the charges. After the formal decision has been taken, it will take a further few weeks to make the practical changes needed, such as changing signs.

As reported in The Press on Thursday, council leader Steve Galloway argued that an urgency committee was not necessary.

He said then: "Scheduling an urgency committee might shave a few days off the process, but involves taxpayers in additional administrative cost.

"This will have to be added to the lost income and new notice costs. There is no evidence the £1 flat rate charge has any effect on the numbers accessing the city centre in the evening."

Evening parking charges were first introduced in the city in 2003/04, prompting The Press to launch its Stop The Highway Robbery Campaign.