Taxpayers may have to pay compensation to get free Sunday parking in a Doncaster town.

Taxpayers may have to pay out compensation to get free Sunday parking in a Doncaster town.
Bawtry Town Councillor Rebecca Dickenson, pictured at Market Hill Car Park, Bawtry. NDFP Market Hill MC 3Bawtry Town Councillor Rebecca Dickenson, pictured at Market Hill Car Park, Bawtry. NDFP Market Hill MC 3
Bawtry Town Councillor Rebecca Dickenson, pictured at Market Hill Car Park, Bawtry. NDFP Market Hill MC 3

A trial scheme in Bawtry which has seen charges ditched on Sundays and bank holidays is due to end next week - but any chance of it continuing could depend on Bawtry Town Concil paying out to the parking firm Excel.

The town council has been told that during the period of the three month trial, which started in January, income from car parking was down between £6,000 and £8,000.

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The figures do not make it clear what days returned which sums, so the reduction on Sundays is unknown at present.

Councillors have suggested the fall may be connected to the closure of a car auction site in the town.

Excel official Martyn Atwood told the Bawtry Town Council meeting his firm would provide as much information as it could to nail down the figure for the money lost on Sundays and bank holidays.

But he added Excel would require compensating for their loss of income if the trial was to continue, or if a permanent change was put in place.

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Bawtry Town Council have been attempting to bring free parking to the Market Hill Car Park in Bawtry since June 2015

Drivers previously had to pay up to £6 to leave their vehicle in the car park - including up until 10pm Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

After the meeting, Mayor of Bawtry David Kirkham said: “Excel will put a figure on the lost revenue and what compensation the require. I don’t think it will be the end of the issue. We want to claw back the hours that parking is charged. If this does not work, we will have to come up with an alternative.”

The council signed a contract with Excel to run the car park several years ago, but now wants to change some details. The plans are set to be discussed again at a meeting on Tuesday.