Victory

After months of campaigning by the Evening Press, business and trade union leaders, charities and societies, City of York Council is set to slash evening parking charges, freeze daytime fees and introduce a late-night Park & Ride service from Askham Bar.

From November, local residents with a window badge may have to pay a flat rate of only £1 to park all night, with other motorists paying £2.

The council is also to consult on the possible removal of unnecessary yellow lines from some city centre streets, with parking meters installed instead.

Medium and long-stay car parks are set to be amalgamated, so motorists no longer face length-of-stay restrictions, the 10p all-night charge will be scrapped, and concessions may be given to key workers in the voluntary and charity sector.

Motorists parking last night in Castle Car Park also welcomed the changes. As he forked out £4.80 to park for the evening, David Bowman, of Acomb, said: "If they can it do it for a pound, then that's reasonable. The current charges are outrageous."

Caroline Parkinson, of Askham Richard, was delighted by the announcement, having written to the council to complain.

"I just paid £3.30 to park but £1 or £2 is fair. We used to come into York a lot before this, but these days we are more likely to go to the pub down the road."

Council leader Steve Galloway, who claimed the authority had been forced into introducing evening charges in the first place by Government funding policies, said it had responded to concerns expressed about the impact.

He said it was hoped that lower evening fees would encourage more people to park, generating extra income to compensate for lost revenue.

Updated: 09:41 Saturday, September 18, 2004