Stockton West MP starts petition to save free parking on Yarm high street

The Council are proposing to scrap the rule

Author: Karen LiuPublished 22nd Feb 2025
Last updated 1st May 2025

The MP for Stockton West has started a petition to save free parking on Yarm high street.

It is following claims the Council are proposing to scrap the rule where you do not have to pay for the first hour.

Matt Vickers said: "The imposition of these parking charges is utterly, utterly disgusting. It will completely batter local high street businesses; businesses in our high street that have already got challenges paying the National Insurance increase, dealing with the new increases in business rates that they're facing as a result of the Government, and now we're seeing a Council that's wasting money constantly coming to our beautiful high street and taxing it to death.

"Those small businesses, those people that get up and work hard every day to put those businesses together deserves support not to be battered by a Council that wants to use Yarm as a cash-cow."

Stockton Borough Council say they are having to make difficult decisions to fill a financial gap and balance the books.

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