As shoppers desert, the winner will be Westfield

Westminster council's planned West End evening and Sunday parking charges are all about raising more cash to fill the ever-widening black hole in the council's accounts. It is as simple and straightforward as that, despite what Conservative councillors claim.

For more than 20 years, the cost of Westminster council's services to residents has been subsidised by motorists from outside the city. The money from parking meters and fines has paid for the day-to-day cost of maintaining the council's roads and pavements and other highways operations. No other council in the country enjoys a "golden egg" like this, and it is the only reason Westminster Conservatives have always been able to charge a low council tax.

For years, Labour has been telling the council that it is unsustainable to base its finances on parking fine income. Then two years ago, everything began to change. As recession began to bite, drivers started to comply with the law. At the same time, the council introduced pay-by-phone parking, which enabled many drivers to top up their parking bay charge and thereby avoid a £60 fine.

Together these developments cost the council £20million in 2009/10, a shortfall that led to more than 500 jobs being cut, including some people working with children and the elderly.

Last year the council lost another £14million on parking. This year, up to £2million could be at risk, as drivers continue to pay less in parking fines. The extra £7million a year that the new parking charges will raise will help to fill the hole in the council's accounts.

But Labour councillors have opposed these charges ever since they were first proposed in January last year because of the damage to the local economy and the impact on residents.

How many jobs in Westminster's restaurants, theatres, clubs and casinos have to be lost before the council admits it has got it wrong? How many people will be forced to pay £75 to £100 a week extra in parking charges from their static pay packets before the council sees sense? And how many worshippers do West End church congregations have to lose before Westminster changes its mind?

Taking the equivalent of 1,700 parking bays out of operation in the evening and Sunday by banning single yellow line parking will reduce parking capacity in the West End and force drivers to compete for fewer parking places. The resulting frustration will lead to West End visitors going elsewhere. The only winners will be shops at Westfield and restaurants in Kensington, Hampstead and Chelsea.

Last week Labour called an extraordinary council meeting to try to stop the new charges before they are introduced on January 9. With typical arrogance, the Conservatives have scheduled the meeting for January 25, more than two weeks after the new charges start.

Sadly, Westminster Conservatives know that they can do as they like. They have a permanent majority, despite the best efforts of Labour. Crucially, the majority of those affected by the new charges live - and vote - elsewhere. But the Evening Standard poll last week showed that 96 per cent of its readers are opposed to the new parking charges. It is high time that Westminster council started listening to them.