Wandsworth Council’s inflation busting increase to parking charges is bad for business, bad for local residents and bad for the borough, according to Tooting MP Sadiq Khan.

While local businesses struggle through the recession, and residents are forced to tighten their belts, Wandsworth Council is cashing in, pushing prices up by as much as 79% since 2008.

An annual residents permit now costs £120 – up 26% on the previous high of £95 – and a 60% increase on the 2008 price of £75 a year.

An ‘all zone’ business permit now costs £760 a year – increased from £540 a year - and up a whopping 79% since 2008.

Town centre pay-and-display parking has gone up 38% to £2.50/hour – in a move that hurts small businesses and local high streets.

Sadiq Khan MP said, “This comes at a time of great economic difficulty for businesses and residents across the borough, and helps nobody. 

“Many businesses and families are already on the edge – and Wandsworth is choosing to squeeze even harder while it sits on reserves of £105 million.

“Our local businesses are being squeezed from both sides – forced to pay higher and higher prices for parking permits, while customers are pushed away from the high street by higher parking costs.  Wandsworth are giving the impression they want to kill off our local shops.

“Shoppers who visited our local high streets and supported local businesses will think twice, and take the free parking offered at large ‘out of town’ shopping centres over £2.50/hour charges they’ll have to pay to park locally.

“Instead of punishing local residents and businesses, Wandsworth should follow the lead of other London councils who offer free parking on weekends in order to boost business on the high street.”

Tooting Town Centre Chair and local business owner Indrajit Patel said, “If we want out Town Centres to have an attractive mix of shops, the high pay and display charges will lead to deprived town centres, loss of livelihoods, loss of jobs and more.”