Council ends free 'park and pray'

The free parking recognised the churches' contributions to the city

A free parking concession for churchgoers that was described as "discriminatory to other faiths" has been removed by a Devon city council.

Two car parks located near churches in Plymouth were free on Sunday mornings.

A £1-an-hour charge has now been brought in as part of an overhaul of parking costs across the city.

A council parking representative responding to a protest letter about the charges, said: "Dispensation is not given to other religions."

They added: "The basis of your representation was rejected on the grounds that the current free parking on a Sunday morning is discriminatory to other faiths and religious praying days."

'Unforgiving'

The Rev Nick McKinnel, rector of one of Plymouth's largest churches, St Andrew's, said: "It does seem extraordinary to invoke other faiths as a reason to charge those who go to church."

He said the council introduced the free parking concession in 1998 in recognition of the contribution churches make to the life of the city.

I have been going to church for 50 years and I have never had to pay Mary Hooker, churchgoer

"For the scrutiny committee now to use other faiths as a way of withdrawing this concession seems pretty shabby.

"The sort of spurious reasoning given on behalf of the city council betrays a total lack of understanding of the multi-faith agenda and serves only to divide communities."

Churchgoer Mary Hooker, 66, said: "It is rather unforgiving. I have been going to church for 50 years and I have never had to pay."

A council spokeswoman said the changes had been brought in line with Sunday charges at other car parks around the city.

"This was because it was felt that it was inappropriate to single out two particular churches for special treatment which is not given to anyone else," she said.

The income from all of the city's Sunday charging revisions has been estimated at approximately £144,000.