PLANS to charge motorists to park on Manchester city centre streets in the evenings and on Sundays have been scrapped.
Town hall transport chiefs backed down last night after an uproar from businesses, city residents and thousands of M.E.N. readers.
They had wanted to introduce charges of up to é2.20 an hour for on-street bays in the city centre, from 8am to midnight, seven days a week. Currently, the bays can be used for free after 6pm and all day on Sunday.
On Friday, we handed in a dossier containing all your complaints - and now the council has agreed to a dramatic u-turn.
Parking chief Coun Neal Swannick, the man who announced the proposals, said: "As the overwhelming majority of responses to the consultation from city centre residents, workers, businesses and their customers alike have been hostile to these proposals, I have no hesitation in withdrawing them."
The climbdown comes 18 days after the M.E.N. exclusively revealed details of the charging plan on January 12.
This website was deluged with furious comments and 96 per cent of the 4,000-plus people who took part in an online poll said no to the proposal.
They were backed by Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Manchester Blackley, who said the charges could lead to a `deserted' city centre.
Opposition
Angie Robinson, chief executive of the Greater Manchester Chamber, registered the organisation's `strong' opposition.
And on Friday - the last day of consultation on the plan - the Pub and Club Network and the Chinese Business Association met Coun Swannick and handed in a petition of their own.
Coun Swannick said: "There are issues to be faced and I now want to work with all those that have taken part in the consultation to improve access to the city by improving public transport, improving parking and making better use of the 20,000 parking spaces we have."
Pressure had grown when Coun Pat Karney - one of Coun Swannick's colleagues in the council's ruling group - declared his opposition in a joint letter to the M.E.N. with Labour city centre candidate Kath Crotty.
The two issued a further statement last night saying: "We are delighted that the city council has listened. We would like to thank the readers of the M.E.N. for standing up for Manchester. We love our city and wouldn't want anything to damage it."
ARE you glad of the transport chiefs' u-turn? Have your say.
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Ms D, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 08:50)
Hope you are listening Councillors and M.P's.
Edna Cloud, Knotty Ash (30/01/2007 at 08:52)
Dave, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 08:53)
Mark Bell, Timperley (30/01/2007 at 08:58)
Well done to you all and a big thanks to Manchester council for having some common sense.
Chris, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 09:01)
Chris, USA (30/01/2007 at 09:10)
Manchester worked very hard to promote city living at night, the charges would have negated that.
Charges would have had a negative impact on posotive promotion of local business.
Oh, wait, we are talking about spineless councillors wanting more money to waste.....
Batfink, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 09:18)
Tubby Scruff, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 09:19)
The Council have backed down for one reason only..people power, next time use this to vote them out. Somewhere in the bowels of the Town Hall, there will be a plot going on to make us pay for this disobediance.
Anthony, Accrington,Lancashire (30/01/2007 at 09:38)
Robert, Rochdale (30/01/2007 at 09:53)
Do these people think we're made of money? Idiots.
Road User, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 09:53)
A Powers, Altringham (30/01/2007 at 09:55)
Eddie Baker, Longsight (30/01/2007 at 09:55)
Ms D, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 10:16)
Pat Karney and Kath Crotty, Town Hall (30/01/2007 at 10:18)
Carolyn, Blackley (30/01/2007 at 10:46)
Ms D, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 11:00)
Al Capone, Atherton (30/01/2007 at 11:17)
The People's March on the Town Hall is now cancelled. Temporarily....
Blue Chris, Sharston (30/01/2007 at 12:45)
Very impressed with this although a sceptical view could be that this was a ploy to show the local authorities do listen to their people, and so the plans never actually existed, or possibly they may have concluded that the congestion charge will more than make up for the shortfall. Either way, let's keep on fighting, people !!!
Can't Smile Wide Enough, East Manchester (30/01/2007 at 13:21)
Helen, Manchester (30/01/2007 at 13:41)
Shaken, Bury (30/01/2007 at 14:27)
Helen, Scarborough (30/01/2007 at 14:48)
joel, daou (30/01/2007 at 15:45)
Manchester Evening News, please lead the way.
I am a city centre resident for 4 years now and notice that all the measures introduced by the Council so far 'in order to combat congestion' have created congestion and made parking more difficult and unpleasant; OBVIOUSLY everything is about making MORE MONEY, disguised by a pathetic dishonesty in claiming more noble reasons.
Christine Redshaw, City Centre (30/01/2007 at 16:19)
It it wasn't for the the two above people starting the campign 18 days ago we would have had the charges forced upon us , well done to the Manchester Evening News and their baby station channel M for all the press coverage they have given the groups
also thanks to the Cllr Pat Karney and and his fellow labour councillors for listening to us
This is a clear victory for Manchester and the People of Manchester