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CHURCHES HIT OUT AT PARKING CHARGES

by Rebecca Short.

11:00 - 09 November 2006 

A city council is to impose new car parking charges for Sunday morning church services so they are not "discriminatory to other faiths and religious praying days".Plymouth City Council had allowed free parking in some car parks for Christian churchgoers, but now has brought in a £1 an hour charge so they do not offend other faiths.

The move has angered churches in the city, and a protest letter has been sent to the authority.

A council parking representative replied, explaining that free parking would be discriminatory.

The letter read: "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.

"Dispensation is not given to other religions."

Regular churchgoer Mary Hooker, 66, wrote a letter of protest to be told worshippers couldn't have an exemption because it might "discriminate" against Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist residents.

She said: "It is rather unforgiving. I have been going to church for 50 years and I have never had to pay.

"I have been worshipping here for 50 years - and neither I nor my parents have ever paid to park.

"I think it is disgusting.

"Loose change which people used to put in the collection plate is now being fed into pay and display machines.

"It seems the so-called politically correct reasons for this new charge are just a cover for the council to make even more money.

"They have effectively introduced a tax on going to church, and at a time when we are desperately trying to increase dwindling congregations I fear this is only going to put people off."

The 2001 census survey revealed that the combined total of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs in Plymouth amounted to 1.1 per cent of the population.

The city has one Mosque which serves all of the Muslim population, estimated to be about 800. Plymouth also has one Buddhist centre, serving about 470 people, and one Synagogue for nearly 200 practising Jews in the community.

There are 150 Christian churches in the city.

Sunday parking charges were first introduced to Plymouth in 1998, but an exemption was granted to churches as a way of acknowledging the contribution it plays in city life.

Worshippers who regularly attend the city centre Anglican St Andrew's Church and Plymouth Methodist Central Hall have always relied on the Guildhall and Mayflower House Court car park's free service.

However, the service was also used by Sunday shoppers and other people - a loophole which is thought to have annoyed the council.

Reverend Nick McKinnel (CRT), rector of St Andrew's Church, said: "For them now to use other faiths as a way of withdrawing this concession seems pretty shabby.

"We were always granted free parking until noon, after the morning service finished.

"The reasoning behind this new charge betrays a total lack of understanding of the multi-faith agenda and serves only to divide communities.

"It does seem extraordinary to invoke other faiths as a reason to charge those who go to church.

"Everyone wants this to be a good city for those of all faiths and none.

"But the sort of spurious reasoning given on behalf of the city council betrays a total lack of understanding of the multi-faith agenda.

"Religious discrimination laws only apply in an employment context, and not to the provision of a service like a car park.

"If the council is imposing new charges because it wants more money then why not admit that?"

Sunday charges have also been brought into line with the rest of the week as well as being introduced in the mornings for the first time - a move set to net the council an extra £365,000 a year.

The city council already has a reputation for overzealous parking fines and last year the Barbican area was listed as one of the country's top ten ticket hotspots - generating more than £43,000. This was on top of the average £3 million a year that the council collects from parking tickets every year.

A spokesman for Plymouth city council said: "The decision not to give preferential treatment to any organisation in the city centre, whether it is a church or not, is an entirely reasonable one.

"However, the wording of the letter sent out to those who made representations should have explained this better, rather than focusing on the faiths issue."