CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce pay-and-display parking in a North-East town will now almost certainly go ahead after a legal challenge failed yesterday.

Yarm Town Council has already spent more than £20,000 fighting the proposal for Yarm High Street, but a judge found against the authority at Leeds High Court.

The taxpayers of Yarm may now end up with a bill approaching £50,000 for the judicial review once they have paid for Stockton Borough Council’s legal costs.

Stockton council’s pay-and-display scheme will see up to 80 high street spaces converted to short stay and a sliding scale of charges introduced. Most charges will be £1 an hour.

But opponents say it will inconvenience residents and visitors and could damage the local economy.

Judge John Behrens heard Catherine Rowland argue for Yarm council that the decision to press ahead with the parking measures was irrational because a public consultation had failed to ask if the public wanted to keep the status quo.

She said the democratic procedure was flawed, Yarm was different to other towns in the borough and, in any case, parking charges can only be introduced as a traffic management measure, not to raise money John Evans, for Stockton council, countered that many of the facts in Yarm council’s case were wrong and all sides were properly consulted. The law had been adhered to at all times.

In his judgement, Judge Behrens said: “Yarm Town Council was given a full opportunity to present its case and did so both in form of detailed written and oral submissions. There are in my view no public law grounds upon which its decision can be challenged.”

Councillor Marjorie Simpson, of Yarm council, had questioned the idea to go to judicial review, saying it would have been better to negotiate with Stockton council.

She said: “I may be going to Stockton council pleading with them to wait for their legal costs for a year. There is not a lot of money left. I just feel sorry this has happened.”

Jason Hadlow, Mayor of Yarm and chairman of Yarm council, said: “Of course I’m very disappointed by the outcome.

“Let’s not forget, this course of action had the unanimous support of the town council, traders and more importantly, the wider population of Yarm. There are many aspects of the verdict that leave a sour taste in the mouth.

“On the upside, Stockton seem to be making some concessions with regard to residents parking and they’ve also found all the money they need to install CCTV in the High Street without dipping into the ward councillors’ budget.

“Thus, I look forward to next summer’s referendum and moving this particular cash cow back into North Yorkshire where it belongs.”

Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “We welcome today’s decision by the High Court. The decision is not a surprise as it is yet another confirmation that we continue to follow a proper process to improve parking arrangements in Yarm.

“The legality of the parking arrangements in Yarm has now been challenged in two police investigations, at the High Court and at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

In every case, the council has been fully exonerated and the parking arrangements in Yarm have been found to be sound.

“These challenges are a huge drain on public resources at a time of huge pressures on local authority budgets.

“The costs in terms of officers’ time, police time and court time are also enormous.

It is a tragedy that the costs of this legal case, which will be more than £50,000, will fall on the people of Yarm.”