Coventry City Council has agreed to review the running of a parking scheme after complaints from residents.
The Starley Road parking scheme was introduced in December 2007 for the residents of the street, which is surrounded by a busy business sector of the city.
Trouble arose when the Council suddenly increased the cost for visitors tickets in August last year from £10 a book to £20. Residents complained to local councillor Dave Nellist (Socialist Party, St Michaels) who presented a petition on their behalf to the full Council on October 18, 2011.
Last week, the Cabinet Member for City Services, Lindsley Harvard, considered the petition and after a presentation by Cllr Nellist and residents' representative, Mr Lee Brock, agreed to:

• reduce the visitors' tickets back to £10 a book for at least the next six months;
  
• refund the additional £10 to any resident who had paid the higher price;
  
• review the operation of the scheme, including the hours of enforcement.

Councillor Nellist said:
"I'm grateful that the Council has changed the original decision, which had been brought in without proper consultation. I also think it is welcome that there appears to be there some recognition of the problems people living in the road face, particularly at night time.
People who live in Starley Road are entitled to be protected from being used as a free car park for customers of businesses across the road. And, in my view, they shouldn't have to pay anything for that protection.
The Council raises a lot of revenue from parking enforcement, and the businesses make a lot of profit from their location; between them, they should pay, not the residents."