The news that the axe looks likely to fall on the free parking spaces on 13 streets in Bradford city centre is today greeted with considerable dismay.

In recommending the introduction of parking meters Council officers have delivered a clear and resounding slap in the face to both traders and shoppers who overwhelmingly had backed the call to preserve the free spaces.

Businesses feared that the disappearance of this significant "benefit" would represent a severe body blow to the vitality of the city centre and today they reiterated those fears.

Bradford Chamber of Trade leader Eric Hudson describes the move as a "retrograde step" and says the views of his members have been completely ignored. Jeff Frankel, chairman of the city retail action group, tells us that fewer people will now use the city centre.

They are clearly unconvinced by the Council's line that meters will in fact bring in more shoppers. And so they should be, given that the basis for this claim is apparently a single survey carried out in a town which has totally different retail conditions. They are also deeply disheartened by the officers' total disregard of local opinion.

There is, however, still time for the Council to show that it can listen, that the views of ordinary traders and shoppers do matter and that party dogma has no place when dealing with issues which go to the very heart of our city's future.

Next Monday councillors will be given a chance to disprove the widely-held view that the consultation process has been a sham all along. For Bradford's sake, let us hope they take that chance.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.