00:00A change to evening parking rules in Liverpool's city centre is now at the centre of a potential legal challenge
00:06as businesses question whether the council acted lawfully when it extended charging hours into the night.
00:12The policy which entered free parking after 6pm and extended charges until 11pm was confirmed in July last year after
00:20first being discussed in 2022.
00:23It followed a controlled parking zone review that began in 2018 alongside public consultation phases in 2022 and a statutory
00:31consultation between July and August 2023.
00:35Liverpool City Council says the aim is to standardise parking rules across the city centre but campaigners argue the decision
00:41has had a significant impact on drivers and businesses with more than 7,000 motorists reportedly caught out by the
00:48new charging hours in the first three months.
00:50Alfie Hinks, a former city councillor and founder of Seascope Maritime Training, is leading efforts to challenge the policy.
00:57He argues it risks harming the city centre economy at a time when businesses are already under pressure and says
01:04legal advice has been sought over whether the council properly considered the statutory purpose of parking enforcement.
01:10Liverpool City Council says it's satisfied it acted lawfully and properly and says it will respond to any claim if
01:17one is formally brought.
01:18Concerns have also been raised about the impact on workers in the night-time economy, including bar staff, hospitality workers
01:24and security staff who often finish work when public transport options are limited.
