Parking will no longer be free on Sundays and weekday evenings in one area of London.
Proposals by Westminster City Council will extend the time
drivers can be charged for parking to midnight on Monday to Saturday and
from 1pm to 6pm on Sunday.
The move to extend the hours of control has been
met with disapproval from those who have a reason to be in the area at
those times, including churchgoers and volunteers.
But defending the move, the council said the new
rules would only apply to a quarter of the borough, centring in the area
south of Oxford Street, around sections of Mayfair and Soho.
A council spokesman said: "People who need to
drive into the West End during these times would still be able to park
their car for free on streets approximately five to 10 minutes' walk
away."