THE only Christian Science church in the county wants special dispensation from ‘exorbitant’ new parking charges.

A plan to increase charges in the county council’s on-street parking bays in Oxford is set to be passed tomorrow – but have been widely criticised.

Parishioners who attend the First Church of Christ, Scientist, have complained a price hike of up to a third on Sundays could be ‘prohibitive’ for some.

The council wants to increase charges to bring them in line with the city council’s off-street car parks and to encourage the use of park and rides.

But in anonymous feedback to a county council consultation, parishioners of the St Giles’ church said they want a special permit scheme.

It said: “There are a number of other places of worship in the immediate area and you may feel this is excessive to include them. However, we are the only Christian Science Church in the whole of Oxfordshire and therefore ask for special consideration.”

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The council has said it does not think it would be ‘practical nor desirable’ to give any churches special dispensation.

An hour’s parking in off-street parking bays, such as those in St Giles’, are set to increase from £3 to £4 from April 1. Parking for two hours will increase by a fifth, from £5 to £6.

The parishioner’s comments continued: “We feel that we are an asset to the city. Some in our congregation come a great distance such as Bicester, Chipping Norton and Horton-cum-Studley. Buses are not always the answer.

“Attending church is a pleasure and should not need to be made stressful by worrying about whether one’s parking is about to run out and how much it will cost.”

The council looks set to remove a 30-minute band to encourage less driving into the city centre from April 1. It will also launch a new £4 charge for evening parking between Sunday and Friday.

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An hour’s parking for Saturday will increase by 50 per cent – from £3 to £4.50 – and two hours’ parking will cost £7.30. That would be another new charge.

The council said it cannot ‘either positively nor negatively discriminate on religious beliefs and to do so would involve granting concessions to all religious and faith groups.’

Just 16 per cent of people who responded to the council’s consultation said they supported increasing charges, according to authority papers.

County council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: “The existing tariffs were set up a long time ago and include arrangements that we are unable to continue. There is good public transport and provision for parking in Oxford, both on and off street, as well as the Blue Badge arrangements which will remain unchanged.”