NEW PARKING CHARGES planned for Sundays in central London have earned the wrath of many of God’s followers, who have started a protest movement against measures they believe will lower church attendances.
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Churchgoers add that not only will the pews be empty, but that people who depend on religiously-inspired charities also stand to suffer if volunteers are put off by the end of free parking on Sundays.
“Hundreds of volunteers and congregation members would be restricted from providing vital support to the community,” churchgoer Stacey Hughes told the BBC.
Most central London parking charges are currently suspended between Saturday evening and Monday morning, giving drivers one day of rest from fine-fear.
But Westminster Council says that its figures show that spaces are now harder to find on a Sunday than on a weekday, mostly thanks to an increase in Sunday shopping.
The authority pleads that it is left with little choice but to impose charges, even at the risk of God’s vengeance, which in the past has included big balls of fire and plagues of locusts.
The council has a “duty to everyone who lives, works or visits the heart of the capital to ensure they have a reasonable expectation of finding a place to park,” said Councillor Lee Rowley.
The Sunday parking policy is due to be confirmed by Westminster Council in August.
