COUNCIL bosses are pressing ahead with plans to increase car parking charges -- despite a major campaign of protest.

EARLIER REPORTS HERE

Fees in council-run car parks in Bolton in most cases are to go up by 10p a stay.

And for the first time yesterday it was revealed that on-street parking charges are to go up as well.

A half-hour stay in a street parking bay will go up 10p to 70p and an hour stay will cost £1.20 instead of £1.10.

At a special budget meeting, the leadership of the Labour-controlled council pushed through plans to raise £45,000 to help to cover a shortfall in the funding of the environment department through the rise in parking fees.

It beat off two amendments from opposition parties calling for the money to be found through cuts in the council advertising budget, with parking charges being kept at the rate of inflation.

The amendments also called for more free parking to be made available.

The Bolton Evening News mounted a campaign against the increase in parking charges and the news that fees are to go up has disappointed traders in the town.

Councillor Guy Harkin, the council's executive member for the environment, said he had dropped proposals for across-the-board increases and in a number of cases was planning to reduce charges.

From Page 1

No U-turn in car

park charges row

Admitting parking had become a major public concern, he confirmed that 16 tariffs would be increased by 10p a ticket, four longer-stay tariffs would be reduced by 50p and that other fees would remain the same.

He revealed that officers had originally suggested across-the-board rises and raising the price of some tickets by as much as 15 per cent.

More than 900 readers filled in coupons printed in the Bolton Evening News and returned them to our offices in support of our campaign against the increases. The coupons were presented to councillors before the meeting.

Cllr Harkin said: "We have listened to the Bolton Evening News campaign and to the Town Centre Company.

"This is an excellent package and we believe people will find these charges reasonable.

"We hope that money will be raised by attracting more people to use our car parks, rather than making those who already do pay for it."

Liberal Democrat councillor David Wilkinson said: "There is a strong feeling in this borough that the council is anti-motorist."

Conservative councillor Norman Critchley said: "Many people think the aim of this scheme is to drive people away from Bolton and it seems that on some occasions it is working."

David Wood, co-ordinator of the Tenants' Association at Bolton Market Hall and owner of the Equinox solarium, said the news of the increases would anger many traders in the town.

The parking charges will now be considered by an all party policy development group.