West End businesses have welcomed a reprieve on looming Westminster parking charges that could have dampened revenues.
The high court has scrapped Westminster city council’s West End evening and Sunday parking charges that were due to come into effect on 9 January 2012, until the judicial review application brought by Peter Wetherell, managing director of Mayfair agent Wetherell, is heard in March next year.
Any new charges are now unlikely to come into force until at least after the 2012 London Olympics.
Wetherell said: “For estate agents, the West End is a success story, so my message to the council is, don’t shoot it in the foot.”
He revealed that earlier this week, his company acted for a tenant buying a £25m residential property in Mayfair.
Brian Bickell, chief executive of West End landlord Shaftesbury, added: “The council should not make people feel the area is not as accessible as it could be. While public transport is good, high parking charges could tempt some people to go elsewhere, such as Westfield Stratford.”
Westminster Labour group leader cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, said: “Over 95% of people are opposed to this damaging parking proposal and the council should now have the common sense to stop before it does any further damage to businesses, residents and churches.”
David Coffer, chairman of Coffer Group, has previously claimed that the changes would result in Westminster “losing several million pounds of rating income”.
joanna.bourke@estatesgazette.com
