Controversial parking meters are to be introduced on 13 city centre streets, despite a massive protest by traders.

Councillors are due to approve the move on Monday - and motorists will have to pay from next February.

The news is a major blow for traders and President of the Chamber of Trade Mr Eric Hudson today said the news was a retrograde step for the city centre.

He said: "It is a great blow to our members because their views have been ignored."

And Jeff Frankel Chairman of Bradford Retail Action Group said: "I believe when this is brought in fewer people will use Bradford city centre."

The T&A launched its own Save Our Spaces campaign back in January 1996, after we revealed the council was considering selling off some car parks. The campaign went up a gear last March when the council threatened to put in parking meters. In February this year the Chamber of Trade described the public consultation period as a "sham," after a senior council officer had told them the scheme was inevitable.

A T&A survey carried out with the Chamber of Trade this year showed with 174 people did not want to pay for parking - with just eight in favour.

But the council says the meters will bring in up to £150,000 a year in extra cash - to pay for the improvements being carried out to the city centre.

The news comes as motorists face other price rises - with car parking charges at Bradford's hospitals being increase to £1 a visit.

Highways chief Councillor Latif Darr claims there will be a better turnover of short term spaces for shoppers when the scheme begins. It will cost £100,000 to set up and £72,000 to run. Motorists are likely to have to pay 30p for half-an-hour or 60p an hour.

The Council plans to employ its own patrolling officers to enforce the scheme.

An innovative smart card scheme would be introduced so drivers won't need to scrabble for change.

Officers say in the near future the scheme could be expanded and the cards may also be used for public transport, school meals, leisure centres, hire of videos and shopping.

The parking meter plans should be rubber stamped at the transportation, planning and design committee on Monday when councillors are set to overrule 78 objections from Chamber of Trade members and a petition signed by 596 people against charges in North Parade.

Today, Coun Darr said: "The improvements in the city centre are forging ahead, but this work could be undermined if we do not tackle the problem of congestion and make better use of short stay spaces on our city streets.

"A lot of people are parking for lengthy periods, preventing other shoppers from parking."

He said a recent parking survey in James Street, Kirkgate, Piccadilly and Westgate showed that on a typical day - between 8am and 5pm - the turnover of cars in each space was nine, with many staying up to the maximum hour or longer.

The officers will tell the committee that in neighbouring Halifax, which charges for street parking, the turnover is 17 a day.

If this was mirrored in Bradford, it could attract an extra 250,000 shoppers into the city centre each year.

Alistair Shaw, co-owner of Table Decor, who helped organise the North Parade petition said: "Bradford will never be able to compete with Leeds in choice and variety, but free parking is a weapon which we ought to preserve."

Past Chamber of Trade president Mary Frame, who held office when the campaign started, said traders would be very angry when they heard the decision. She said chambers in other areas where charges had been implemented had supported their campaign, and said the scheme should be stopped.

Today motorists gave their angry reactions to the news. Legal secretary Christine Rawlings, who parks outside Forster Square station every morning to pick up post, said there should be more free parking - not less.

"I'm only here for about five minutes and I'm not going to pay," she said.

"I think these charges are a bit of a rip off - you can only park here for an hour anyway.

"They should be looking at giving motorists more free places in the city centre."

Antiques dealer Glennis Byron parks outside the station every Tuesday morning to visit the antiques market in the Pennington Midland Hotel.

"I'm not very keen on having to pay, especially as I'm usually here for about an hour and a half," she said.

"Some weeks I don't buy anything so parking charges will be money wasted - and it will all add to the price of the items."

One trader in Kirkgate, who asked not to be named, said: "They are fighting for the places outside here every day.

"It won't have much affect on us because most of our trade is from pedestrians, but I think it will affect the city centre generally.".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.