Plans to introduce overnight fees in Oswestry car parks have been suspended after an extraordinary meeting of the town council.
A meeting at The Guildhall on Wednesday night (March 4), called by town Mayor Cllr Rosie Radford, saw councillors vote to suspend plans to bring in the changes.
An overnight charge between 8pm and 8am was due to come into force, with daytime rates increasing by 20% and the daytime rate period extended from 6pm to 8pm. The Advertizer understands the change also means the daytime rates will now end at 6pm, although the fee increase will still come into force.
The council heard that many are already feeling the pressure of rising costs and are worried that overnight parking fees could make things harder still.
There was particular concern about the effect on the town's evening and night-time economy.
There had also been warnings about displaced parking pushing more cars into surrounding residential streets, creating additional congestion, access problems for emergency vehicles and frustration for those living nearby.
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The Mayor said: "I called this meeting because listening to our community matters.
"The feedback we received from local residents and community organisations was clear, and it was vital that we listened and acted on what we heard.
"Whilst we need to make sure we have the funding to serve our community well, we must listen to what people are telling us."
Councillors also agreed that any future decisions about overnight parking will be subject to public consultation, ensuring the community has a proper say before anything changes.
That led to warnings from community groups that they could be forced to close, with Oswestry Memorial Hall's acting manager Paul Newman saying groups had approached him fearing the new parking charges would force them out.
The new charges - coupled with a substantial increase in the town council's precept to allow it to take on services from Shropshire Council - had created significant tension in the council.
Several Liberal Democrats have left the party since last year's council elections, and the council chamber has witnessed some rancour in recent weeks.
One meeting saw a former mayor walk out, and the same member was also chastised at a subsequent meeting, which descended into squabbling.
