'All options on table' for town parking charges

COUNCIL TO REVIEW £1.50 FEE AFTER PETITION

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

COUNCIL leaders have said they “get it” and will resolve the issue of parking charges in Stockton and Yarm as quickly as possible.

The end of first hour free parking in the two centres, replaced with a £1.50 charge for three hours in February, was debated at a Stockton Council cabinet meeting.

It is being reviewed after just a few months following a petition and council motion calling on leaders to reverse the policy, as businesses said it was harming trade and driving customers away.

Councillor Paul Rowling, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources and transport, said the original decision was made to end the first hour free because money was needed to maintain car parks.

He said: “We are doing a review, because clearly there are implications if we were to make any changes in this area.

“This review will cover both Stockton and Yarm and we will be covering data over a six-month period to get a true reflection”

The council has said its data suggested footfall had increased in the first few months of the charges.

However, Cllr Rowling said: “We would like to get a much greater understanding of what this data actually shows because sometimes initial data can be misleading.