Letters: Panic! - Parking charges

Published: 29 January 2010

ABOVE-inflation increases in the cost of residents’ parking permits, a 100 per cent increase in the cost of parking meter charges in St John’s Wood and the loss of free parking on single yellow lines after 6.30pm have all been agreed by Westminster Council’s Conservative cabinet, in an attempt to fill the council’s £22million hole in its budget.
In addition, parking meter charges in the West End are increasing from £4.40p and hour to £5 an hour.
These massive parking charge increases will hit residents, visitors and businesses hard. 
This is not about improving parking but all about raking in over £7million more from local residents to fill the hole in the council’s finances caused by the Conservatives’ financial incompetence.
Visitors coming to see elderly relatives in many parts of Westminster will now have to pay to park in the evening. Local restaurants and other businesses will be hit hard as their customers will now have to pay to park in the evening rather than use single yellow lines. And every car owner will be hit by an above-inflation rise in the cost of a residents’ parking permit.
This is bad news all round and shows the depths to which the council’s finances have sunk, that the Conservatives have been forced to take these panic measures just weeks before the general and council elections.
The Conservatives have denied residents a voice on these parking price increases but on May 6 Westminster residents will have opportunity to give their verdict on these new parking taxes.

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg
Leader of the Labour Group