Church goers fight Sunday parking proposals

Published in The Gloucester Citizen Newspaper on Mon 8th Feb 2010

CHURCH-GOERS in Gloucester are fighting back against proposed Sunday parking charges in the city centre.

As revealed in The Citizen last month, Gloucestershire County Council plans to introduce seven-day parking charges from 8am to 7pm in 39 city streets.

Gloucester City Councillors Pam Tracey (Con. Westgate) and Jeremy Hilton (Lib Dem. Kingsholm and Wotton) brought a temporary halt to the proposals, which were due to come into effect on January 25.

Now the congregation at the United Reform Church in Park Road have joined together to show their disapproval of the proposals - with 77 people signing a petition calling for the proposal to be scrapped.

"If these charges are introduced, the numbers of our congregation would fall," said Malcolm Leach, secretary at the church. "People would have extreme difficulties in parking near to the church and they may not bother coming, it would be a great shame.

"We have spoken to councillors Hilton and Tracey and handed in a petition too."

Mr Hilton is urging more people to show their views on the proposed charges.

He said: "I would encourage as many people as possible to send in their objections to the county council.

"These proposals are effectively a tax on worship and a tax on Sunday lunch.

Burden

"People would have to pay to park up their cars near their church, and families and friends would have to pay to visit their loved ones on a Sunday afternoon."

As well as the burden of paying to park on a Sunday, Mr Hilton has criticised the decision to extend the charging period an extra hour to 7pm.

"It is an absolute nonsense," he added.

"I can't see any other reason for doing it other than to grab a bit more cash.

"Every other area I have been to, they charge up until 6pm. I think a lot of people would assume that is the same in Gloucester and they would get caught out