Milton Keynes “cannot be treated like a cash machine" - anger over plans to remove free and limited waiting parking spaces

The Labour-run authority has launched a consultation on its plans to remove all existing free and limited waiting parking places in Central Milton Keynes, and replace them with standard and premium tariff parking places.

It is also consulting on plans to remove all existing car share parking places in Central Milton Keynes, and replace those with standard and premium tariff parking places.

The City Council claims that the proposal aims to manage parking availability and usage to the benefit of residents, businesses and their visitors, and that this will be achieved by the alteration of a combination of parking restrictions and parking places.

The proposals have been slammed by Milton Keynes Conservative Group leader Shazna Muzammil who said: “Last year, Labour doubled the minimum parking stay, forcing people to pay more.

“Then they doubled the price of that stay. Now, they are proposing to remove the last free parking spaces, hammering those who need them most - the market shoppers and stallholders, students, residents, the self-employed, and the people just trying to make a living.

"Labour is waging war on workers, businesses, and anyone who is already struggling with the cost of living.

"We call on the Labour administration to scrap this disgraceful proposal immediately. They cannot keep treating Milton Keynes like a cash machine."

The roads affected by the proposals would be North Third Street, parts of Upper Second Street, Upper Fourth Street and Lower Fourth Street, North Fifth Street, parts of North Sixth Street, Upper Fifth Street, parts of South Seventh Street, North Eighth Street, and parts of North Ninth Street, Saxon Gate and Lower Tenth Street, Midsummer Boulevard, Avebury Boulevard and Secklow Gate.

The consultation, which runs through until April 24, was launched less than a week after controversial increases to parking tariffs came into force in the city centre.

Comments or objections to the latest proposal can be made in writing and sent to Milton Keynes City Council, Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ, or emailed to [email protected] quoting the reference TRO-420.