Parking protesters must prove hardship (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Parking protesters must prove hardship

RESIDENTS who oppose the new parking charges at the Station Road car park in Malmesbury will be able to quiz district council bosses at a meeting.

Council leader Carol O'Gorman will attend the meeting at Malmesbury School at 7pm on Tuesday to hear people's views.

The district council imposed parking charges at the free long stay car park last month.

Prices have now rocketed to £4 per day. Some workers have found they cannot afford to park there and have quit their jobs in town.

Malmesbury traders said the charges are hitting them hard.

Some said profits have plummeted by around 25 per cent since the charges started.

Town councillor Charles Vernon meanwhile has accused the district council of ignoring a consultant's

report, which recommended

minimum charges of £1 a day.

District and county councillor John Thomson will chair next week's meeting.

He has urged as many people as possible to attend the meeting and make their views known.

He reminded people that Coun

O'Gorman invited opponents to the charges to produce evidence showing the effect they were having on Malmesbury.

He said: " I very much ask people to bring evidence.

"This is a single issue meeting."

The meeting will also be attended by district council officers and Malmesbury district councillors.