St Bride’s Church has warned proposed Sunday parking charges would impact its congregation
The Rector of a Fleet Street church said she has been “taken aback” by the support from the public in its fight against planned parking charges that put its future at risk.
A petition urging the City of London Corporation to review proposed changes to parking charge has close to 2,000 signatures after the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) highlighted the concerns.
St Bride’s, which is closely associated with the newspaper industry and has a history going back centuries, has raised the alarm over the potential introduction of Sunday charges which would act as a barrier to some worshippers.
The church has withstood disasters from wartime bombing to the plague, though it fears the proposal would have a significant impact on its congregation.
Reverend Canon Dr Alison Joyce, who has been the Rector at St Bride’s for 12 years, previously told the LDRS the Sunday congregation is “the core building block that enables everything else to happen”. It provides not just financial support but also fills officer and volunteer roles.
“The whole edifice depends on us having a thriving Sunday congregation,” she said.
As the petition reached around 1,900 signatures, Dr Joyce said: “We have been taken aback by the huge amount of support we have received in support of this campaign – and also that there is a growing recognition that if the City is going to meet its net zero targets successfully, there has to be more joined-up thinking at the planning stage.
“There is no point making it harder for people to get into the city by car at weekends, when public transport is so hopelessly unreliable.”
The potential introduction of Sunday charges is part of a wider package of changes the Corporation is currently consulting on. The online survey details how the Controlled Parking Zone was last reviewed 17 years ago, since when the City has grown and people’s travel patterns have changed.
A number of changes are being considered, including amending when people can park on single yellow lines and when parking charges apply.
Dr Joyce has said that not only are the proposed charges likely to impact the church’s congregation, they are unnecessary.
She has shown the LDRS several photos taken on Sundays on Fleet Street in which few vehicles other than buses could be seen.
“It’s the fact that they’re unnecessary, and I simply don’t think they’ve looked at the impact,” she said. “I don’t think they’ve done their research properly.”
The petition launched supporting St Bride’s’ call for the Corporation to withdraw the proposal, states: “Sunday charging would place an unnecessary financial burden on people attending services, including families, older worshippers, and on volunteers who give their time to support the City’s historic churches.
“It would also undermine the long‑standing principle that the City remains accessible for worship on Sundays, when businesses are closed and traffic is minimal – and run counter to the Corporation’s own ambition to increase footfall in the City.”
At the time of writing the petition has received 1,907 signatures. Alderwoman Martha Grekos, who represents the local Castle Baynard ward, said: “I am delighted to be helping St Bride’s Church and other religious and cultural institutions in the ward object to the imposition of Sunday parking charges.
“Such proposed changes go against the Destination City vision which aims to attract more footfall on our streets so as to boost the local economy, attract better shops and tenants and allow this place to flourish – so visitors can enjoy our rich culture and heritage.
“We are asking the Corporation to withdraw the proposal and to work with local churches, cultural institutions and community groups to ensure that the Square Mile remains open and accessible for all.”
A Corporation spokesperson said: “A public consultation on potential changes to the City of London’s Controlled Parking Zone is currently underway, and no decisions have been taken.
“As the consultation remains open, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
The consultation is to run until Wednesday (July 1). A decision is expected to be made in September, with any changes to be implemented from next April.
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