A bid by opposition Conservatives to force Bristol mayor Marvin Rees to reconsider new charges at 10 suburban car parks was voted down at full council. But the Labour administration insists it has already agreed to talk to residents about possible changes to the proposals, which were approved in last month’s budget and are set to come into force this autumn.
Tory group leader Cllr Mark Weston tabled a motion to Bristol City Council on Tuesday, March 14, urging Mr Rees to “revisit, review and reverse” the idea following an outcry primarily about introducing pay and display at Westbury Hill car park in Westbury-on-Trym. Shoppers, GP patients, community groups and churchgoers who currently park for free would have to pay £1 an hour, seven days a week.
Cllr Weston’s motion called on the mayor to “commit to conducting full consultation” and “explore possible compromise solutions”, such as making the first hour free but increasing how much drivers would pay after that so the council still earned the same income. It also demanded pausing the sell-off of four other district car parks to “evaluate their impact on local high streets and then consult on those plans as well”.
