CITY of York Council has pledged that any extra money raised by new and higher on-street parking charges will be ploughed back into transport-related projects.

The authority was denying suggestions that the doubling of its ResPark charges for residents parking zones and new on-street charges went against Government guidance urging authorities not to use charges to raise additional revenue.

The new charges have come under heavy fire from residents and motorists, and also from traders who fear they are killing off trade in the city centre.

Residents have complained that the doubling of their ResPark charges amount to an unfair taxation on themselves by the council.

The Government's "Guidance on Decriminalised Parking Enforce-ment Outside London", which has been in force since 1995, states that the setting of on-street charges is primarily a matter for individual local authorities rather than the Secretary of State for Transport.

However, it says the Secretary of State recommended charges should be set at levels to ensure parking enforcement became at least self-financing.

The document added: "Local authorities should avoid using parking charges as a means of raising additional revenue, or as a means of local taxation."

The AA said the general principle of the guidance applied to all aspects of parking control.

"York has had decriminalised parking enforcement since autumn 2000," said a spokeswoman.

"Resident parking started out as a 'cover costs' concept and this should, in our view, be the same today. That said we could perhaps accept slight tweaking for second cars."

But the council indicated that the setting of on-street parking charges was a matter for individual local authorities, and that York had not acted against the guidelines.

A spokeswoman said the Government stipulated that any excess income from on-street parking had to be "ring fenced" and spent on transport related projects, such as subsidised bus services or new cycle routes. "The council is independently audited by the Audit Commission on an annual basis to ensure that the income is being correctly used, and has to submit details of parking income and associated schemes to the Home Office, " she said.

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, June 03, 2004