A decision by Scotland’s largest council to raise and extend parking charges has brought thousands forward in protest.

Now business leaders have called for the 10pm parking charge policy to be reversed after it sparked "widespread dismay in the business community", The Herald can reveal.

The Business HQ team told how thousands, over 10,000 at last count, had signed a petition calling for a halt to the plan, saying: "This will have a disastrous effect on thousands of low-paid workers working in the nighttime economy, clubs, pubs, restaurants and theatres."

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said that as well as workers "the majority of Glasgow businesses have voiced their opposition to the city council’s plans".

The Herald: 'Despite more core funding from the Scottish Government for 2023/24, there was a significant increase in councils' total funding gap, due to pressures including increased demand for services, inflation and the cost of living' - Audit Scotland'Despite more core funding from the Scottish Government for 2023/24, there was a significant increase in councils' total funding gap, due to pressures including increased demand for services, inflation and the cost of living' - Audit Scotland (Image: Getty Images)

A poll conducted by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce has revealed 85 per cent of respondents fear the decision will have a detrimental effect on their businesses, calling on the council to reverse its plans.

The move comes after Glasgow City Council approved plans to increase parking fees and extend the time limit of parking restrictions to 10pm from 6pm seven days a week as part of its annual budget-setting process.

A date for implementation has yet to be confirmed.

READ MORE: Thousands call for halt to 'disastrous' 10pm parking charge

The Chamber said: "This decision sparked widespread dismay in the business community, with companies across various sectors voicing concern that the charges will drive consumers away from the already struggling city centre and act as an unfair tax on key workers, adding an additional £7 per shift to their outgoings."

It utilised LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) to capture the views of members and, of the 260 responses, 85.77 per cent said they believe the changes would have a negative impact.

Around seven per cent stated they did not yet know what impact would be, and the remaining six per cent said the charges would not impact their business.

Over half of responses came from individuals at chief executive and director level positions.

READ MORE: Explained: What are Glasgow's new parking restriction plans and why now?

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "Glasgow’s businesses have spoken and the message is clear: they want the council to reverse this decision.

"It is difficult to think of another policy which has received such an overwhelmingly negative response across all sectors.

"We understand the difficult position the council is in. It’s being asked to implement national policies at a local level with reduced income and ever-increasing costs.

"However, these decisions are making the recovery of the city centre increasingly difficult. We cannot ignore the cries for support from the hospitality sector, which has sadly witnessed a succession of businesses close down in recent months."

He added: "Increasing parking charges also places additional financial pressure on city centre workers, including key workers at the Glasgow Dental Hospital, nearby schools and nurseries, retail and hospitality workers, who rely on street parking to access employment.

"This has a real risk to jobs and businesses across the city and we urge the council to listen to their concerns and reconsider their approach."

Seonaid Daly, executive director of Glasgow Film Theatre, said: "Whilst we really encourage active and public transport travel into Glasgow Film Theatre and the city centre, we know from customer feedback that many people drive in and park nearby at night-time, taking advantage of the quieter roads and free parking.

"It’s not ideal to add another barrier to the sustainability of the nighttime economy when things are already so challenging."

Allesandro Varese, of Blue Lagoon fish and chip restaurants, said: “Our view is the extra revenue the council will gain will be offset by the businesses they will kill.

"Hospitality is already on its knees and this will push businesses into closure due to the drop in footfall it will undoubtedly cause."

The Chamber said: "Glasgow business community awaits the council's response, hoping for a reconsideration of the parking charge increase and the associated time restrictions."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "Changes to pay and display hours in parking zones were agreed as part of a budget that required to find £107m worth of savings from council services over the next three years.

"The budget has sought to target poverty and invest in support for communities with Council Tax frozen for the next year.

"The longstanding approach with parking controls has been to prioritise parking for residents in the city’s 22 parking zones.

"By standardising parking hours across all zones we are aiming to provide the maximum benefit for permit holders seven days a week.

"We also hope to encourage a shift to more sustainable forms of transport."

In the council budget, a saving of £686,000 from the standardisation of parking zone hours is listed for 2026/27.

Elsewhere, business editor Ian McConnell revealed why "we must not ignore this worrying warning on the UK" as interest rates have been very much in focus in the last week.

The chief executive of abrdn has been awarded a bonus of nearly £800,000 as the Scottish financial services heavyweight swings the axe on hundreds of jobs, deputy business editor Scott Wright reported.

Also this week, business correspondent Kristy Dorsey spoke to Calum Melville, chief executive of Edison Group, an expanding construction and property business based in Irvine that is taking on new projects throughout Scotland and much further afield, for our Q&A.