It's a case of pay and dismay for those used to enjoying free parking on the outskirts of Bradford city centre as the council unveils plans to impose charges for leaving your car on several streets.

The council says the move is to ease the bad congestion that results as motorists drive into the city centre and circle around looking for parking spaces.

However the move has angered traders and shopkeepers who see this as further discouragement for people to spend time in the middle of Bradford.

No-one would argue that traffic can be a nightmare when trying to get in and out of Bradford during peak hours.

But is it wise to inflict more charges on those who do brave the gridlock in a bid to get themselves - and their spending power - into the city?

Bradford is on the road to regeneration with new leisure and shopping facilities on the drawing board or in various states of development.

To make Bradford an attractive city centre to shop in we also need to make it an accessible one.

The council's view on imposing charges on spaces where around 240 cars are currently parked for free is that it is "pain for gain" - the pain of losing free parking leading to a less congested city centre.

But Bradford already faces great competition from other cities, especially in these days of improved public transport links.

It would not do to successfully clear the city centre of cars only to find that the drivers are staying away as well.