THE furious owner of one of York's top restaurants - Rish, in Fossgate - is planning to hit City of York Council in the pocket over its controversial parking policies.

Maria Abu Rish has warned that if she does not succeed in forcing a change of mind, she will seriously consider quitting York for another city where cars are still welcome at night - such as Leeds.

Maria claimed that evening charges and double yellow lines meant that Fossgate, once a thriving street of restaurants with people walking around at night, was now more like a ghost street in the evenings.

Now she is planning to take her commercial refuse collection business - worth £1,700 to the council - away from the council and give it to a private waste collection company.

She said other businesses to whom she had spoken were willing to take the same action. "If this is done by only a few businesses, it could cost the council a great deal," said Maria, whose restaurant was named Restaurant of the Year in the 2002 York Tourism Awards, is listed in the Michelin Guide and is in the Good Food Guide.

She said traders had originally thought the changes were a bad idea. "But we had no idea how much the changes would affect a business like ours.

"We actually didn't realise it would be so bad. So many businesses, especially evening ones, are devastated by it.

"Turnover is down, and so many of our customers that come in are really angry about the parking and charging. They have asked us what we can do for them, as a business, to change it.

"Here at Rish we have become more and more angry over the whole issue.

"I think they have made a great mistake and I am not prepared to lose business, just like others.

"They are damaging the night economy of the city, one which is currently being promoted by another section of the council with goodeveningyork.com."

Coun Ann Reid, executive member for planning and transport, has strongly defended the yellow lines in Fossgate previously, saying they would help curb congestion and claiming that emergency vehicles had often struggled to get past parked cars.

She said today that the sort of action being suggested by Rish would affect the commercial service's department, but could eventually cost the authority money and, if this happened, could result in higher council taxes next year.

Updated: 09:03 Saturday, July 03, 2004