TRANSPORT chiefs have defended York's parking charges - and thrown down the gauntlet to critics to say how they would fund proposed reductions.

City of York Council's ruling executive yesterday agreed that residents' permit charges should not be reduced, despite a report last week showing they were among the highest in the country.

The executive also agreed to a raft of new policy initiatives to make the council's parking service more transparent and accountable.

But it reiterated its commitment to keeping the traffic-warden service in-house, allaying fears that it could be taken over by a potentially over-zealous private operator.

As reported in The Press last week, a report by officers found wardens had high levels of sick leave, and were working longer but issuing fewer tickets than their peers in other cities.

But council leader Steve Galloway said: "We see that service staying in-house and we do see our wardens widening their role.

"We see them widening their ambassadorial role; they are very much the eyes and ears of the city."

He called on officers to modify wardens' working practices to improve efficiency.

Residential permits in York currently cost £88, or £44 for low-emission vehicles. The council's Labour opposition has called for major reductions in the costs, but Coun Galloway said people living outside ResPark zones should not have to pay for the service through increased council tax.

He said: "I am absolutely clear that the ResPark zones should be self-financed, and I do not believe that the charges made in those streets are unreasonable."

He added: "If there are those who wish to subsidise these arrangements, they must make clear in the budget process where that money will come from.

"I do not believe that residents living in suburban areas around the city would wish to be the people to subsidise that scheme."

He also said evening parking charges for non-residents should not be cut, saying: "It seems reasonable to me that visitors should pay what is a very moderate fee towards the running costs of the car-parks."

The council is to start publishing an annual parking report, to make the service more open to the public.

Speaking at the meeting, fellow executive member Sue Galloway drew comparisons with Harrogate, where the local council recently increased evening parking charges by 100 per cent, sparking concern from traders and economic leaders.


* RULING councillors have endorsed a range of proposals to take recycling in York forward.

At yesterday's meeting of City of York Council's executive, councillors agreed to roll out a pilot recycling scheme in The Groves from next April, at a cost of £160,000 a year.

They also decided to spend £50,000 a year on ongoing waste minimisation work.

The executive has also agreed, in principle, to the full roll-out of recycling in terraced areas in April 2009.