City council withdraws application to strike out legal challenge to extension of parking charge hours

Last month, a group of city business leaders announced preparations for legal action against the council over a recent increase in parking charges and extension of charging hours across the city.

In July 2025, it was confirmed that parking charges would be extended in the city centre from 18:00 BST until 23:00, despite almost 90% of people indicating they were against the move.

Local business owner Alfie Hincks, whose maritime training company is leading the legal challenge, argues the parking measures risk damaging the city centre economy, at a time when businesses are already facing “immense pressures”.

The group of business leaders are seeking a legal challenge in relation to potential breaches of both the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Equality Act 2010, arguing that the policy has “unlawfully prioritised revenue generation over the statutory purposes of parking enforcement, while failing to adequately consider the disproportionate impact on women working in Liverpool’s night-time economy”.

The city council had asked the court to strike out the claim, alleging that the claimant did not comply with the procedural requirements for serving the claim.

However, it has now confirmed that it has withdrawn the application.

A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Liverpool City Council has withdrawn its application to strike out the legal challenge to the recent parking charge increase, as the claimant has since corrected the procedural errors that initially formed the basis of that application. It will be for the court to decide whether the claim should proceed. The council is confident that it has complied with all relevant legal requirements."

Lottie Winson