Park the painful fees

CoUNCILS are the first to grumble that life is being sucked out of Britain’s high streets as internet and out- of- town shopping cause sustained damage.

But instead of pulling out all the stops to help hard-pressed businesses stay afloat, Town Halls are piling on the misery.

For grasping local authorities are plotting huge hikes in parking charges to plug budget shortfalls, adding to their already astonishing £1.8billion in profits.

How short-sighted. Extortionate fees will simply further discourage car-dependent families from battling into town centres to shop, hastening the decline of retailers.

No one is saying parking controls are never needed. But it seems clear councils would rather see cash in their own coffers than in the tills of struggling local shops.