SMALL traders have come up with a series of suggestions to help City of York Council raise extra cash so parking charges can be cut.

Independent retailers David Cox and Simon Evans, who are leading campaigners against the controversial new charges and restrictions, say they have had had a "useful and frank exchange of views and ideas" with York council leader Steve Galloway and the executive member for planning and transport, Ann Reid.

They used the two-hour meeting at the Guildhall to reiterate their requests, which include a reduction in parking charges to 1999/2000 levels, the elimination of evening charges and parking meters and the removal of new yellow lines.

"Taking up Coun Galloway's challenge at the public meeting at the York Railway Institute last week, we put forward a number of proposals which we believed would raise revenue or reduce costs for the council," said Mr Cox.

Their ideas included:

Changes to trade waste collection to increase recycling and save the council significant sums of money

Charging business rates on unoccupied premises, which would also help eliminate ugly empty shops

Applying for lottery funding for city centre projects, such as Christmas decorations

Investigating expanding and improving the Parliament Street toilets, with a 25p charge levied for use.

They said Coun Galloway had told them that each idea would be thoroughly investigated, and had also confirmed that they would be invited back at the beginning of September to hear and comment on any proposed changes before they were published.

He had also thanked them for their positive approach in providing ideas for funding, several of which appeared to be feasible.

"During discussions, it appeared that there was room for movement by the council in response to small traders and the public demand for changes to the parking regime," said Mr Evans.

They said they were also supporting York's bid for better grant funding from the Government in the next financial year.

Coun Galloway said today: "We also found the meeting to be constructive and welcomed the readiness of the traders to make suggestions which might help the council's financial position."

Updated: 08:41 Saturday, July 31, 2004