Unanimous vote in favour of referendum (From Warrington Guardian)

Unanimous vote in favour of referendum

BIDDULPH residents have voted unanimously in favour of having a referendum on the controversial issue of car park charging.

Staffordshire Moorlands Council is due to introduce pay and display parking in Biddulph and Cheadle from April.

The move sparked huge opposition from the people of Biddulph, who put together a 9,700-name petition and want a referendum on the charging issue.

A poll on car park charging in Biddulph is to take place on January 29 after residents voted for a referendum at a public meeting last week.

The Moorlands council is obliged by law to call the poll if at least 10 of those at the meeting support the call for a referendum.

The meeting was called by members of Biddulph Town Council, and was packed with more than 50 members of the public, who all voted for the poll.

Biddulph Mayor Cllr Jim Harrison said it was tremendous to see the people of the town turn out to fight the move to charge for parking in the town.

He acknowledged that the district council could ignore a referendum result against charging, but he hoped that such a vote would embarrass the council into changing its mind on the issue.

Biddulph MP Charlotte Atkins said this month's charging referendum could be a blow for democracy.

"This is people power, which I very much support," she told the meeting.

Exciting things were happening in Biddulph, she stressed, which would be "knocked on the head" by the introduction of parking fees.