PETITION STARTED:

Following Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s decision to extend charging times in Leek and not in Cheadle, a petition has been started.

The council has scrapped the proposed extended times for Cheadle, now the petition is seeking the same leniency be applied to Leek.

As part of the car parking strategy the council has also raised charges.

The petition started by Helen Bridgett said: “Cheadle has been granted what its town asked for, as agreed at Cabinet, we ask that the same leniency be applied to Leek.

“The other towns affected, Cheadle and Biddulph, have alternatives. Sainsbury’s in Biddulph has two hours free parking within a short walking distance to all shops and it’s a large car park. Morrisons in Cheadle, large for the town, allows two hours free parking with an easy walk to the shops. Leek has no attractive comparison for the size of its retail area.

“The scrapping of free parking after 3.30pm and a significant increase in Leek’s car-parking fees has now been approved and will commence imminently.”

At the time of going to press, more than 2,100 people had signed the petition.

To sign or visit the petition go to: chng.it/xmh7gccsyn

As we went to press, the Labour and Independent groups on the council had requested that the car parking issues be called in.

This would mean that the rise in tariffs would be discussed at the next week’s meeting of the full council and the change of hours proposed would be further discussed at the council’s service delivery overview and scrutiny panel in March.