A BITTER row has broken out in the Selby district over "unfair" car parking charges being levied on the area's towns.

The argument erupted after the district council's Environment Board waved through plans to bump up charges by up to 50 per cent in Selby.

Now councillors in the town have asked why charges have not yet been introduced to Tadcaster, where shoppers and traders can still park for free.

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said people in Selby were being treated as a "cash cow" to generate funds to be spent elsewhere in the district.

He said: "I think it is totally unfair to Selby traders and shoppers.

"We are treated as a cash cow for the district.

"They take the money from Selby and give it to Tadcaster in the form of subsidies for car parking and the market.

"They spend a disproportionate amount of money there and they would not be able to do it without the people in Selby making that contribution. I think it is grossly unfair."

On Thursday, councillors agreed plans to increase the cost of short and long-stay parking in Selby town centre to generate an extra £10,000-a-year.

Businesses, opposition councillors and the Selby Chamber had all previously spoken out against the plans, arguing the increases would damage trade in the town.

But Coun Chris Metcalfe, chairman of the Environment Board, said: "We felt that it would be inappropriate to put charges on Tadcaster at a time when the town could not sustain it.

"There may be a time in the future when Tadcaster's fortunes change that we may seek to revisit that, but the town council said in the meantime not to do it, and we have taken that on board."

Coun Shaw-Wright said: "The district should be equal to all its residents. Selby can't sustain it.

"I think it seriously needs looking at and we will be pushing for better answers than the fact that Tadcaster can't sustain it.

"If they brought charges in to Tadcaster, they could lower the prices in all the areas."

Under the latest increase, an hour's ticket in a short-stay car park will go up from 25p to 30p, but a stay of more than two hours will rise to £4 from £2.60.

Long-term permits are also set to soar under the plans, with the price of a yearly short-stay pass rising from £440 to £780.

The council made almost £95,000 from car parking last year.

Updated: 08:33 Monday, May 29, 2006