'Soul destroying' parking charge rise to start

Parking charge rises set to come in from this month in Liverpool have been branded as "soul-destroying" by people who claim their livelihoods will be affected by them.

The cost of parking a car in the city centre is to rise again later this month, with Liverpool City Council saying the cost of leaving a car for half an hour within the inner city centre is to go up to £2.40, and an hour will increase to £4.60.

Chef Paul Askew, who runs a city centre restaurant, said: "It is another death knell for hospitality."

Ruth Bennett, the council's deputy leader, said fees were being "continually monitored" so they "remained competitive".

The move will apply to all council-owned car parks and spaces throughout the city centre.

Askew, the chef patron of the Art School fine dining restaurant and a member of the Liverpool Hospitality Association, said: "It is beyond belief, how little help we are all getting and way the authorities are treating businesses.

"These parking charges will affect so many businesses . Everyone is opposed to them.

"If people stop driving in, then it will have a real effect on the theatres and other businesses and then that has a knock-on effect for us."

A 30-minute space within the inner parking zone - which is now chargeable from 07:00 to 23:00 GMT - will go up by 10p to £2.40.

A two-hour stay will rise to £6.80 from £6.50 while up to four hours, or five hours after 18:00, will cost £11, up from £10.60.

Charges in the outer zone of the city centre will increase to £1.90 for 30 minutes - an increase of 10p.

The increases were approved earlier this month.

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