THE debate round the ending of free parking in Bolton town centre rages on.

Free on-street parking has been scrapped, apart from on Sundays, along with free weekend parking the multi-storey car parks.

The Labour group called the decision in and it was discussed at Bolton Council’s Place Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday.

The majority of members voted for the issue to be discussed at full council.

The scheme, which has been in place at multi-storeys since 2012, offered two-hours of free parking in on-street bays and multi-storeys in the town centre.

It also included free weekend and bank holiday parking at NCP multi-story car parks, including the Octagon, and came to an end on July 19 after being extended from its original planned end date in November last year.

Labour leader, Nick Peel, said after the meeting: “Our argument is quite simple. The report that the council received outlining the reasons to end free parking did it from just a financial view of how much money wasn’t being made from parking charges.

“There was nothing about the other consequences of removing free weekend parking, such as money being spent and shops and other businesses, and generally getting people into the town.

“We feel the decision was made without full knowledge of the facts of all the other benefits free parking brings, so we want a full report going to the council that considers all the relevant information.

“If it comes to the same decision at least we know it was made with the full facts.”

However, Conservative councillor John Walsh spoke at the meeting against the motion, arguing that the money used to subsidize parking should be spent elsewhere.

“When free parking was first introduced the council had not at that time entered into a contract with NCP for the building two new car parks which affected our income,” he said after the meeting.

“At that point we also didn’t have a major regeneration scheme in the town centre as we have now which a lot of money is being spent on.

“We are now also being driven by the mayor of Greater Manchester and the government over public transport reforms and climate change.

“Some changes will be unpopular such as these changes to parking but these all encourage people to use more public transport.

“There is also no such thing as ‘free parking’ as it’s something that has to be subsidised by tax payers, many of whom will only use public transport.

“If we are going to take climate change seriously and encourage people to not use private cars these sorts of measures (removing free parking) have to be taken. We are all committed on the council to tackling climate change which is a real and present issue.

“Many other plans are also in place, all part of the regeneration scheme, to get people back into the town centre. Free parking is not the only solution to this.”