LIVERPOOL Council’s cut in the level of free car parking in the city centre was last night branded as “crazy and barmy” by the Conservative’s shadow minister for Merseyside.
Chris Grayling, who is also shadow Home Secretary, said the council should be ashamed of extending charging for park-ing until 8pm to more areas.
Mr Grayling visited Liverpool yesterday for the first time since being promoted to sha-dow Home Secretary last week.
He met with the family of Michael Shields, lawyers for the Law Society, and families at the Victims of Crime Trust.
Currently parking on city centre streets is charged for between 6am and 6pm, but from April motorists will be charged until 8pm. It will raise an additional £110,000 a year.
Mr Grayling said: “The city council is absolutely crazy to do this to squeeze a little bit of extra cash – they should be ashamed of themselves.
“The council should be trying to make the city centre attractive, and to be charging to park here in the evening is just barmy.”
He said now that he was shadow Home Secretary he was concentrating on reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, and cutting the amount of red tape police have to deal with.
