LEADING parking protesters could push to take control of Pocklington's car parks in order to keep them free of charge.
The Parking Action Group, made up of local councillors and members of other town organisations, hopes to keep up the pressure on East Riding Council following the success of the parade in which 200 people marched through the town.
They are now loo
king at a two-pronged approach, firstly to target the council's parking review report in order to mount a legal argument, while also look to take responsibility for the three long-stay car parks away from County Hall.
The suggestion to take on the car parks comes after the breakdown costs for each were released to the action group by East Riding Council.
Valued at £369,000 collectively, they claim the annual upkeep costs range from £9,000 up to £38,000.
Action team member Richard Borrie said: "We have to somehow try to take on the car parks.
"If we don't do that, East Riding Council will be back next summer and perhaps keep coming back. We have to take it out of their control.
"The worst possible situation is that we get nothing out of it, that we do not get any benefit from this.
They (East Riding Council] are holding most of the cards, but we have got some, and we have to negotiate otherwise we will get nothing."
East Riding Council said the proposed parking charges, which could be introduced to a number of towns which have enjoyed free parking to date, are to help impose a balanced scheme across the county.
It says towns such as Bridlington, Beverley and Driffield are unhappy to be paying for parking while the likes of Pocklington, Hornsea and Cottingham remain free.
But the action group will argue that East Riding's reasons for implementing pay and display in Pocklington are inadequate, and will look to challenge the credibility of the parking report.
"We need to go through the panel review and come up with a list of issues," said Mr Borrie.
"Some will be big, some will be small but they will add up to something that is so strong it can't be ignored."
The Parking Action Group's chairman, Councillor Tony Marron, said if enough of the report's points could be successfully challenged, the plans could be overturned.
"If we put enough pressure on it, it could put the whole idea on the shelf and be left there," he said.
