SHOPPERS in Brighouse have been granted a further break in parking charges ahead of a re-think by Calderdale Council.

The controversial on-street charges were introduced for the first time last summer, despite objections from traders and local councillors alike.

They feared the move would have a negative impact on trade in the town and drive shoppers away.

The system allowed for hour-long parking, with the first half an hour free, then a charge of 20p for the remaining half an hour. But all those parking needed a ticket, even if simply making use of short the free period.

In response the Council suspended the unpopular charge over Christmas to help boost trade for town centre businesses. Then this was extended until the end of January.

At the time it was also confirmed that changes were to be made to the pricing structure for on-street parking when it returned this month. From February, the first hour of parking was to cost a flat rate of 20p.

However signs on the on-street parking meters appear to show that the charges have been "suspended until further notice" with the Council then confirming that this will remain until a meeting of its decision-making cabinet can determine the way forward.

Councillor Barry Collins, responsible for parking, said: “The suspension of parking charges that we put in place before Christmas 2018, following discussions with local traders, will remain until our Cabinet has considered the future of on-street parking in Brighouse town centre.

"The maximum stay of one hour still applies to encourage turnover of spaces. We remain committed to supporting Brighouse’s great independent businesses and encouraging people to continue to visit the town.”

The move was welcomed by local councillor Scott Benton, leader of the Conservative group on the Council.

He said: "We had been told before that when the charges are reintroduced it will be 20p for a full hour as the previous charges were causing confusion.

"But an extra month is to be welcomed.

"The introduction of the charges has had a huge impact on trade with some businesses seeing a 20 to 30 per cent drop. Some shoppers have come back since the charges have been suspended but we need this resolving long term."

He added that he urged the Council to think about the future of traders in Brighouse town centre when making any decision.

It is expected that a report on the issue will go before the Council's cabinet meeting next month, which is scheduled to take place on March 18.