00:00Parking in Liverpool City Centre has been at the centre of a long-running debate,
00:04with businesses, drivers and the council taking very different views on how the system should operate.
00:10The latest development comes as Liverpool City Council applies to have a legal challenge against its parking policy dismissed.
00:17The dispute centres on the council's decision to extend parking charges until 11 at night,
00:23meaning drivers can no longer park for free on city centre streets after 6 in the evening.
00:27The changes were confirmed last year after a review of the controlled parking zone.
00:32According to Liverpool City Council, the move was intended to standardise parking arrangements across the city centre.
00:39The review itself began in 2018, an informal public consultation took place in early 2022,
00:44before revised proposals went through a statutory consultation between July and August 2023.
00:50Almost 90% of respondents opposed the changes, but councillors voted to proceed with the new charging hours.
00:58Former Liverpool councillor Alfie Hinks, founder of Seascope Maritime Training,
01:03is leading the legal challenge alongside more than a dozen businesses.
01:08They argue the decision is unlawful and say it risks damaging Liverpool's economy,
01:13workers, visitors and the city's night-time economy.
01:16The councils asked the court to strike out the claim, arguing the claimant did not comply
01:21with the procedural requirements for serving it.
01:24In a statement, a Liverpool City spokesperson said it would not comment further
01:27because the matter is still ongoing.
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