Church submits parking petition
Peterborough Today
23rd June 06
A PETITION requesting the relaxation of parking restrictions for worshippers attending a city church has been presented to council chiefs.
More than 850 people put their name to the petition drawn up by parishioners at St Peter and All Souls Roman Catholic Church in Geneva Street, Peterborough.Parking in Queensgate shopping centre is free on Sundays.
Parking outside the church and surrounding streets, however, is free only until 11am. But the Sunday service often goes on until 11.30am or later, meaning churchgoers have to buy tickets.
The petition, asking for just one hour's extension, was presented to Peterborough City Council in the hope that councillors will give church-goers the small concession.
Cllr Raja Akhtar, who represents the city's central ward, handed in the petition on behalf of residents and the Church at a meeting of Peterborough City Council on Wednesday.
He said: "I fully support the parishioners at St Peter and All Souls in their campaign to extend the free parking period.
"Sunday is a special day, and people should be allowed to worship without having to pay for the privilege.
"Shoppers using the Queensgate car park on Sundays are not charged. It seems wrong to charge others who choose to attend church, particularly when the change they ask for is only a small one."
Parish Priest Father David Jennings said he hoped the petition will be given careful consideration.
He pointed out that worshippers at the Gladstone Street mosque are allowed to park in two bus bays in the Acland overflow bus park on Friday afternoons and says he is happy that the council has made the concession in view of the lack of parking near the mosque.
"All I ask is that the city council is fair on this issue," Father Jennings said. "Many of our congregation are at the lower end of the financial scale and many are either elderly or have very young children. Surely it's not too much to ask for the free parking period to be extended by just one hour."
Mike Lennox, a spokesman for Peterborough City Council, said the petition will be considered as part of an ongoing consultation into parking in the city centre.
He said: "The deadline for submissions passed several weeks ago but we have agreed this petition will be included in a report. A decision will be made later this year."
23rd June 06
A PETITION requesting the relaxation of parking restrictions for worshippers attending a city church has been presented to council chiefs.
More than 850 people put their name to the petition drawn up by parishioners at St Peter and All Souls Roman Catholic Church in Geneva Street, Peterborough.Parking in Queensgate shopping centre is free on Sundays.
Parking outside the church and surrounding streets, however, is free only until 11am. But the Sunday service often goes on until 11.30am or later, meaning churchgoers have to buy tickets.
The petition, asking for just one hour's extension, was presented to Peterborough City Council in the hope that councillors will give church-goers the small concession.
Cllr Raja Akhtar, who represents the city's central ward, handed in the petition on behalf of residents and the Church at a meeting of Peterborough City Council on Wednesday.
He said: "I fully support the parishioners at St Peter and All Souls in their campaign to extend the free parking period.
"Sunday is a special day, and people should be allowed to worship without having to pay for the privilege.
"Shoppers using the Queensgate car park on Sundays are not charged. It seems wrong to charge others who choose to attend church, particularly when the change they ask for is only a small one."
Parish Priest Father David Jennings said he hoped the petition will be given careful consideration.
He pointed out that worshippers at the Gladstone Street mosque are allowed to park in two bus bays in the Acland overflow bus park on Friday afternoons and says he is happy that the council has made the concession in view of the lack of parking near the mosque.
"All I ask is that the city council is fair on this issue," Father Jennings said. "Many of our congregation are at the lower end of the financial scale and many are either elderly or have very young children. Surely it's not too much to ask for the free parking period to be extended by just one hour."
Mike Lennox, a spokesman for Peterborough City Council, said the petition will be considered as part of an ongoing consultation into parking in the city centre.
He said: "The deadline for submissions passed several weeks ago but we have agreed this petition will be included in a report. A decision will be made later this year."
posted by Neil Herron at 10:07 AM
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