Dudley council in the West Midlands is seeking to levy car parking charges on greenfield shopping sites in order to ease congestion and attract shoppers back to town centres.
Its application to charge for spaces at Merry Hill is supported by environmental groups and by the local Government Association, which sees the application as a test case.
It is strongly opposed by supermarkets and retail developers.
Chelsfield, which owns Merry Hill, is currently “considering its position”.
Financial Times 14/10/98 page 12
