PROPOSALS to introduce additional on-street parking charges across East Lancashire have been scrapped, a council leader has said.

The announcement follows months of campaigning from residents and councillors who strongly objected to Lancashire County Council’s plans to install 53 additional pay-and-display machines on the main streets of several towns in a bid to bolster the authority’s finances.

Papers prepared by officers named Whalley, Clitheroe, Colne, Nelson, Longridge, Burnley, Padiham and Great Harwood as possible candidates for the new charges.

Local councillors reacted angrily to the possibility of the new machines and started campaigns to ensure they were not installed in their towns.

Councillor for Great Harwood Noordad Aziz said he had now received confirmation from county council leader, Geoff Driver, that there would be no unwanted machines brought to the area.

Cllr Aziz said: “I have had confirmation saying that there are no proposals for the introduction of on-street parking charges for Great Harwood or anywhere else in Lancashire.

“This is a sign of how people power can win. We all felt very passionately about the introduction of more pay-and-display machines and I personally have always been of the opinion that they could kill off our already struggling high streets.

“This was a regressive proposal and would have hit people where hurts. I am very glad that these plans have been shelved.”

Patrick McGinley, chairman of the Hyndburn Conservative Association, said: "The subject of pay parking was only ever put forward as a discussion with other matters to assist to raise funding.

"I have worked quietly behind the scenes and spoken with Geoff Driver and others at County Hall to get to the true facts.”

Thousands of street lights were also due to be switched off in a package of council cuts which would see LLC save £77million by 2022.

Parking plans for the towns of Colne and Nelson were withdrawn back in February after a campaign led by Liberal Democrat David Whipp saw a petition presented to bosses at the County Council.

Hyndburn Council leader Miles Parkinson and the then leader of the Ribble Valley Ken Hind followed suit, announcing that they too would be presenting county with petitions.

County Councillor Keith Iddon, who is the cabinet member for highways and transport, confirmed that no street parking measures would be installed in areas that didn’t want them.

He said: “There are currently no proposals in place but there will shortly be a consultation on the matter.

“People who don’t want new meters in their towns don’t have to have them, but there are areas where they will be welcomed.”