£1 parking tax - Judge rules against bikers - Campaigners vow to continue legal battle, as taxpayer picks up legal bill

Published: 23 July 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

MOTORCYCLE protesters have vowed to fight on after a High Court judge ruled against them in the battle to charge for parking in the borough.

Lord Justice Pitchford dismissed the appeal by demonstrators, who had argued that the £1 a day parking fee was unlawful because it was a revenue raising device by Westminster City Council.

Speaking after Friday’s judgment, Warren Djanogly, leader of the No To Bike Parking Tax campaign group, said the result was a set-back but added: “Should we fail in the UK courts, we are fully prepared to take this one to the European courts”.

Lord Justice Pitchford also rejected claims by Mr Djanogly that City Hall parking bosses had not carried out a full consultation before introducing the charge in 2008.

He said: “It was, and is, accepted by the council that charging measures may not be introduced for the purpose of increasing either its general income or its income to be applied for transport policy purposes.”

For the council it marks the end of a two-year battle, which included protests inside the lobby of City Hall. 

Regular protests including weekly “go-slow” rides around Trafalgar Square and outside City Hall during rush hour, were condemned by the council for what they said was a cynical attempt to “paralyse” central London.

Welcoming the judgment, the council’s new parking boss Councillor Lee Rowley said: “Our decision to charge motorcyclists £1 per day to park has been rigorously scrutinised, open to widespread public debate, and has now been tested in the High Court.

“We have always maintained that with huge demand for on-street space in Westminster charging motorcyclists a small sum to park was reasonable and fair and I’m glad the judge has reiterated this. 

“This case has cost local taxpayers tens of thousand of pounds in legal fees and staff time and we hope this ruling will draw a line under the issue.”

Current charges are £1 per day, £3.50 per week, £13.50 a month or £100 a year.

Mr Djanogly said: “While not getting the result we hoped for, today was an important eye-opener, and thus ‘win’ for the public. 

“This action, and any appeal, was always acknowledged by us as a necessary precursor to our preferred legal challenge, a judicial review, at which we can properly expose not only the blatant revenue-raising aspects of the scheme, but also flagrant abuses of both UK & EU contract law by the council. Should we fail in the UK courts we are fully prepared to take this to the European courts.”