Ashton-under-Lyne cashless parking suspended after 'misery and mayhem'

Mrs Warrington said some people had "struggled with the cashless approach"

A town's cashless parking scheme, called "discriminatory" by some local traders, has been suspended pending a review, a council leader has said.

The system in Ashton-under-Lyne was introduced across 140 spaces in the Tameside town's centre in November.

Local MP Angela Rayner had called for the scheme to be reviewed, saying it was causing "misery and mayhem".

Council leader Brenda Warrington said she had decided "to suspend the system" after considering evidence.

John Bowers, who owns Muldoon & Tonge Opticians, criticised the scheme when it was first introduced.

"It discriminates against the elderly and people who don't have phones," he said.

And Paul Merrick, who runs Ashton Bathrooms, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the scheme had been the "final nail in the coffin" for some town-centre traders.

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In a letter to the council, Mrs Rayner said "urgent action" was needed "before we lose footfall to neighbouring town centres that don't have this hugely unpopular system in place".

Mrs Warrington said that while the "vast majority of people" had used the system successfully, "some have struggled with the cashless approach and traders have said they feel it has had an impact on their businesses".

She said that as a result, all parking charges, restrictions and enforcement "in this specific area will be removed with immediate effect in order that we have the time and opportunity for a full review to be carried out".

She added that the council would now try to find an "appropriate replacement" that "better meets the needs of people working and visiting the town".