Church leaders in Oxford have voiced dismay at the increase in Sunday morning car parking charges, which could affect their congregations.

At present, there is a flat rate of £1.20 on Sundays until 1pm in all city centre car parks, but councillors have now voted to change this and bring the charge in line with the rest of the week.

During the week it costs £2.50 for one to two hours and £4 for two to three hours. Prices for the rest of the week will increase by 5.2 per cent.

Alex Hollingsworth, chairman of Oxford City Council's highways and traffic committee, said the council will be meeting with church leaders to try and find a solution.

The Rev David Gibb, curate at St Ebbe's Church in Pennyfarthing Place, said: "I'm very pleased that the council intends to discuss this.

"I would urge them to consider very seriously what could seem like discrimination against people who are simply wanting to practice their own Christian belief which, in effect, is what this does.

"As a city centre church, we've got nowhere else for people to park. It's one thing to allow Sunday trading to go ahead, we've accepted that, but it's another thing to put people off going to church by treating Sunday as any other day."

The Rev Stephen Pix, of St Michael at the Northgate, in Cornmarket Street, said: "Quite a lot of people who come to St Michael's are fairly elderly and coming by car is the only means they have.

"We were given an assurance some time ago that there would be a flat charge during church times. Of course with the increases in Sunday trading that's gone by the board."

He suggested that churches should be able to issue their members with permits. He said his congregation could then park in Ship Street, as the parents of Oxford University students were allowed to do when they dropped off or picked up their children.

He added: "These charges could discourage people from coming to church on grounds which are not very good."

Richard Colebrook, of Oxford Community Church which meets in the George Street cinema, said: "It is not just a problem for our congregation but for a lot of people coming to church.

"It's going to be a massive price hike."

Marks & Spencer store manager Barry Tanswell said he was very disappointed that the council had ignored the suggestions put forward by retailers. He said traders in Oxford wanted the car parking charged in two-hour bands rather than the current one-hour system.

He said: "In principle, one recognises that you have to raise charges from time to time but we're very disappointed the city council has seen fit not to follow the plan put forward by some retailers to charge in two-hour bands, which would make it more attractive to shoppers but would get the same level of revenue.

"Once again, the retailers have been ignored."

He said he did not have a problem with the Sunday charges being increased. Current charges

0-1 hour - £1.50

2-3 hours - £2.50

2-3 hours - £4

3-4 hours - £5

4-6 hours - £8

6-8 hours - £12

8-24 hours - £15

Monday to Saturday after 6.30pm to 8am and Sundays until 1pm - £1.20 What do you think about the car park charges going up? Write and let us know

Story date: Saturday 06 February

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