Westminster Parking Vote: London Says No

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From January 9th 2012 Westminster Council plans to bring in new evening and weekend parking charges.

LBC 97.3 has been running a poll all week to find out whether Londoners agree with the decision.

The results are decisive:

Should the Planned evening and weekend parking charges in Westminster be introduced?
Yes	2%
No	98%

The council wants to abolish free parking on single yellow lines and impose charges of up to £4.80 an hour in parking bays between 6.30pm and midnight Monday to Saturday, and between 1pm and 6pm on Sundays.

Ahead of the council's decision local traders told LBC it would be "a nail in the coffin" for businesses in the area, while church leaders labelled the council "soulless and uncaring."

There are fears the charges will force out church volunteers and mean activites have to close.

Even the Mayor of London has spoken out against the new charges - saying they will be a threat to the West End's night time economy, local businesses and churches.

But the council has defended the move, saying it is necessary to cope with the "sheer amount of traffic driving through".

Speaking to LBC 97.3 at the beginning of the month Lee Rowley from Westminster Council explained that something has to be done about the number of cars in the area.

"We now have rush hours at ten o'clock at night or eleven o'clock at night in some streets in the centre of London. Streets are busier than they are at ten or eleven o'clock in the morning."

Westminster Council also says the measures are meant to protect local residents, who were finding it hard to park near their homes.

Greenwich, Camden, Tower Hamlets and Kensington and Chelsea already have Sunday charges.

Each day this week LBC 97.3's Nick Ferrari will be speaking to a different group or organisation that will feel the impact of the planned charges as well as those who have been outspoken on the issue.

We will also be asking Westminster Council to respond and have invited them to take your calls. We are awaiting their response.