Westminster Conservatives hike evening and Sunday parking charges by 10%

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Westminster Conservatives hike evening and Sunday parking charges by 10%

By Westminster Labour ⋅ September 8, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
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West End business, theatres, shoppers, musicians, church goers and restaurant staff to be hit by ‘backdoor’ parking tax increase.

Following Westminster Conservatives’ decision in August to introduce evening and Sunday parking charges in the West End to raise an extra £7 million a year, the Council has today announced plans to increase parking charges across the city by 10%, including the West End where charges will increase from £4.40p an hour to £4.80p an hour. The 10% increase will raise a further £1 million a year for the cash-strapped Council. The new increased charges will be introduced on 1st December, which Labour Councillors have described as “the worst possible Christmas present for West End shops and shoppers.”

Labour Councillors say that the increased charges will hit West End businesses and their workers very hard, as well as cause further harm to West End theatres, clubs and restaurants and the actors, musicians and restaurant staff who work late at night and need their cars to get to and from work. West End churchgoers, such as those who worship at the Salvation Army in Oxford Street or at Farm Street Catholic Church in Mayfair, will also be forced to pay the increased parking charges.

Shoppers coming to the West End on Sundays after 1.00pm (the second busiest shopping day of the week), will now have to pay £4.80 an hour, the highest in the UK, which could add another £20 to the cost of coming to the West End. Evening visitors to theatres, clubs and restaurants in the West End will have to pay £2.40 an hour after 6.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with charges doubling to £4.80 an hour after 6.00pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “Just when West End businesses thought things could not get worse, Westminster Conservatives have slapped a 10% increase on these new parking charges even before they are due to be introduced on 1st December! At a time of growing economic gloom, increased ‘backdoor’ parking taxes are the last thing that businesses, employees and residents want or need.”

“Westminster’s finances are in a mess and these parking charges are all about raising money for the Council and nothing to do with traffic management. The Council’s parking income is predicted to be up to £4 million below budget estimate and these increased parking charges are the Council’s way of filling the gap.”

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