A Bingley pub licensee has started a petition against proposed additional parking charges in the town.

David Edmondson, who runs The Harvester in Chapel Street, has collected more than 100 signatures in a matter of days after putting his petition out on the bar for customers to sign.

He said: “There has been a very positive response and it is clear people don’t want parking charges. It might not affect me directly because my customers normally walk here but it will kill business in the rest of the town.

“No-one is going to pay £1 to park so they can buy £2 of pork chops or a £1 sandwich. A few people have been complaining about it so I have decided to do something about it.”

Bradford Council has proposed introducing additional parking charges in Bingley, Shipley, Keighley and Ilkley to stimulate trade by creating a higher turnover of customers.

The proposals would generate £250,000 for the Council every year.

Formal consultation will take place with retailers and other town centre users before a final decision is made by the Council’s executive committee.

Mr Edmondson said at least ten other business in Bingley had asked for copies of the petition and he estimated that up to 1,000 people may have already signed them. He added: “If people don’t want to pay parking charges they need to voice their opinion. Some people might just say it isn’t going to affect me but five months from now when the butcher shop or the sandwich shop closes down it will affect them.”

Councillor Mark Shaw (Con, Bingley) gave his support to the petition. He said: “I am astounded Bradford Council can even consider trying to destroy all the hard work to build Bingley up by introducing charges.”

Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, economy and sustainability, stressed there were no fixed plans to introduce parking charges in Bingley and there would be a public consultation before any decision was made.