However, the majority of your walk will be spent just enjoying the peaceful countryside of Farndale and the surrounding ridges.

Farndale is a long valley running south to north in the heart of the Moors.

Blakey Ridge map (Image: Jonathan Smith)

Park in the beautiful village of Church Houses or a mile further south at the car park at Low Mill.

It is a good time to visit both villages as the daffodils are superb and the wildflowers of the early summer are upon us.

From Church House take the road heading steeply northwest out of the valley.

The road is quiet but it is a 750 feet climb.

Having reached the top you may need to follow the road left to the famous Lion Inn for a refreshing cup of tea!

South at the head of Farndale (Image: Jonathan Smith)

This is a historic pub built in the 16th century and at 1,325 feet one of the highest points in the North York Moors.

However, the better option is to take the wide track on your left.

After passing through a gate in the first few metres, the bridleway follows the edge of Farndale as it winds its way for 6 miles to Bloworth Crossing.

This path used to be the Farndale arm of the iron railway that moved the iron ore out of the hills.

Originally in the mid-1800s the ore was taken by horse-drawn wagons down the valley to the railway hub at Pickering.

However, the roads were unsuitable and the transfer was awkward and took forever.

The roads were replaced by the railway, the route you are now on.

The walking is easy and the route finding is not hard.

The views are excellent with an interesting contrast between the bleak moors, green dales, and coast in the distance.

Having wound your way pleasantly around the Head of Farndale, the path comes to a noticeable meeting of paths, this is Bloworth Crossing.

This is where the railway crossed the drover’s road of Thurkill’s hill road.

From 1861 to 1929 the crossing was actually manned, with a nearby cottage housing a gate keeper’s family.

Now you will only see walkers, sheep, and often loud skylarks.

At the crossing take the track just east of south keeping to the undulating high ridge for a further 3 miles on the western slopes of Farndale.

The views are even better on this stretch of the walk.

At the next junction of tracks turn left back into Farndale, near Ouse Gill Head.

This track descends gradually for just over half a mile before a steep final descent leads to the road at the valley bottom.

A quick right and left will bring you to a road leading back to Church Houses.

FACT BOX:

Distance: Roughly 12.5 miles.

Height to Climb: 390m (1,410 feet).

Start: SE 670975.

Either park in the car park at Low Mill or at quieter times near the pub in Church Houses.

Difficulty: Hard but not in terms of the terrain, only in terms of the length of the walk.

Refreshments: The Feversham Arms is in Church House, the Lion a couple of miles away on the ridge.

Both are excellent.

Be Prepared:

The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk.

You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL26) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass.

You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors.

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.

Jonathan runs Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:

He has written 4 books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘Walks without Stiles’, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains and the long distance path ‘The Bracken Way.’

Buy them direct from Where2walk.

Jonathan runs Navigation Training Courses.

The next Beginners Course is on Saturday June 27th from Long Preston, near Settle.

You can buy Dales 30 Guide Book, T Shirts and branded caps from the new Dales 30 website.

Start the challenge today.

Where2walk.co.uk features 100s of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs.

Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation.

If there were any doubts that the USA were ready to live up to the pressure of being one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were dispelled in 45 brilliant minutes against Paraguay on Saturday.

Following a glitzy build-up which featured a performance from Katy Perry, watched on by Hollywood A-listers like Tom Cruise in the stands and with thousands of fans decked out in the stars and stripes, they would have been forgiven for wilting under the pressure.

Instead they stepped up as three goals in a whirlwind first half, before a sublime fourth by Gio Reyna in stoppage time, secured a 4-1 win to ensure a perfect start in Group D.

But even before this display there were some who had recognised the potential of a USA side who have developed significantly under ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino over the past 20 months.

Former USA goalkeeper Tony Meola is one pundit who has suggested they are now on their way to being able to rub shoulders with football’s elite.

“Now we are so much more established,” said Meola, who was part of the US squad at the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups.

“We have players playing all round the world, we have an incredible league and have facilities the world is using right now. Those were a pipe dream a few years ago, now we are a football nation.”

This was the first time since 1930 that the USA has won a World Cup game by three goals and it is a result that may well make other teams at this tournament sit up and notice.

“USA were unbelievable,” England great Ellen White said on BBC Match of the Day.

“You talk about pressure but they grasped at it, they enjoyed it. They probably shocked the world with that performance.”

The group are believed to have arrived and set up an encampment on the New House Farm playing field opposite St Osmunds Primary School near Blenheim Road in Breightmet last week.

They have since moved on before court summons could be served requiring them to do so, but to residents’ dismay appear to have left mess and disruption in their wake.

Cllr Sean Fielding, of Breightmet, said: “When the Travellers arrived last Friday the council immediately started the legal process required to move them on.

Concerns have been raised about the condition the area was left in (Image: Public)

“In the end they left before the court summons could be served but sadly, they’ve left a mess in the area.

“I have spoken with environment and greenspace today to arrange for the area to be cleaned up.”

The group remained camped around the playing fields for around a week, with cars and caravan parked around the area.

They were still in place as of Tuesday June 9 this week, but Bolton Council said that a court summons requiring them to move would be served on or before this Friday.

The group has since moved on (Image: Public)

When The Bolton News approached people at the site last week, a woman said: “We’re just here for a few days.

“We won’t be here for long, and we’re not here to cause any trouble.”

There have been a number of Traveller camps in and around Bolton recently, including one on a leisure centre in Atherton and a car park in Westhoughton as well as New Bury in Farnworth.

The Travellers arrived last week on the playing fields in Breightmet (Image: Public)

Travellers also set up on land in Harwood, where a clean-up operation took place after they left what was described by locals as a disgusting mess.

The Travellers on playing fields in Breightmet moved as the council was ready take legal proceedings to remove them from the land, where neighbours had complained of anti-social issues.

Sir David Attenborough is Britain’s most beloved broadcaster at the remarkable age of 100

Sir David Attenborough has dedicated a number of decades to the natural world, and remains one of Britain’s most beloved and instantly recognisable broadcasters at the extraordinary age of 100.

While countless fans are in awe of his energy, passion and keen mind, a glimpse into his morning habits has generated significant curiosity.

The presenter, known for Planet Earth and Life on Earth, was snapped visiting a bed and breakfast in Kelletville, Pennsylvania, more than a decade ago.

The owner of the establishment, who posts on Reddit under the handle @WhaddaYaKnowJoe, later shared the photo online and recounted the details of the encounter, while also revealing what the presenter chose to eat during his stay.

It seems Sir David has a fondness for a spinach and onion omelette. While there’s nothing to suggest this is part of his daily regime, the meal is rich in nutrients that experts have linked to healthy ageing and cognitive sharpness.

Eggs are widely regarded as one of the most nutritionally dense breakfast choices available. According to the NHS, they are an excellent source of protein, while also providing essential vitamins and minerals, including B12.

They are also particularly rich in choline, a nutrient that plays a critical role in supporting both brain function and the nervous system. The spinach included in the omelette may also provide additional benefits.

Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health notes that it is rich in folate, vitamin K and antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage.

Studies have suggested that leafy green vegetables could play a role in maintaining cognitive health as we age. Research published by scientists at Rush University Medical Center found that people who ate one serving of leafy green vegetables each day displayed slower cognitive decline compared with those who rarely consumed them.

Onions also supply nutrients including vitamin C alongside a range of plant compounds. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, vegetables remain an essential source of fibre and micronutrients within a well-balanced diet.

The combination of eggs and vegetables also provides a protein-rich breakfast, which can help keep individuals feeling fuller for longer periods. The NHS recommends consuming a balanced diet that incorporates ample vegetables and protein sources to support overall wellbeing.

Naturally, no single food is solely accountable for longevity or good cognitive health. Factors such as genetics, physical activity, sleep quality and general lifestyle all play a considerable role.

Nevertheless, if the breakfast spotted in the Reddit post is anything to go by, Sir David’s choice of morning meal includes a number of ingredients that nutrition experts regularly associate with a healthy brain and successful ageing.

With Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time due out this year, a reader suggests it may steal the game of the year accolade from GTA 6.

In the long history of video game teases I don’t think there’s ever been anything as extreme as The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake reveal. I do think it was a mistake to show so little, but what’s done is done. Although I don’t quite understand why Nintendo had a knee jerk reaction to the Star Fox leak, by announcing it in the middle of the night, but just went ahead with Zelda as if the leaks hadn’t happened.

Still, it happened and we know it’s real, and that’s great. And we did get to see a tiny bit of what the graphics will look like, and they were quite the surprise. They looked very high-tech and realistic. There was a bit of a cartoonish element, but I thought they’d try and make it look like the concept art, but they don’t seem to be doing that at all.

If that’s what the whole game looks like then we are looking at a best case scenario, where the remake ends up being the best-looking game on Switch 2 and also quite a different experience (the Great Deku Tree seems like it’s been redesigned, judging by the intro). It’s going to be massive and it’s also going to go head-to-head with GTA 6.

Nintendo didn’t give a release date for the remake but considering that, and the fact they showed so little, it’s obviously not going to be out any time soon. They’ll need to have another Direct first, probably dedicated to it, and that’s going to make it an autumn release – which is what everyone thought, with it being their big Christmas game.

What it also does is put it close to the November 19 release date of GTA 6 and, knowing Nintendo, they’re not going to care about that at all. Even ignoring the fact that they never seem to care what other companies are doing, GTA 6 isn’t on the Switch 2 and it’s nothing like Zelda. So there really isn’t much conflict. A lot of people will like both, but they aren’t really competing with each other.

I full expect Nintendo to make Zelda the closest big game release to GTA 6. They just won’t care. They want that prime Christmas release slot and they won’t let even GTA get in their way.

But I don’t think that’s going to be the only way that Zelda with be trying to steal GTA 6’s spotlight. Both games will be up for awards and while I’m sure GTA 6 will be very good, Ocarina Of Time is still regarded as one of the best games of all time. So a modern update, that also changes quite a bit of it up, should be just as much of a contender as GTA 6.

You could argue that GTA 6 deserves it more because it’s a new game and not a remake but how different is it really going to be to the others? I bet all the delays have a lot more to do with this Roblox style creator content stuff than it does with some amazing gameplay innovation they’ve come up with. You can already see from the trailers that it’s just the same old thing, even if the graphics are great.

I do think a lot of award shows will be biased towards it just because it’s popular, like when Titanic won all those Oscars, despite being a mediocre film that just happened to sell really well. I’m not saying GTA 6 will be mediocre but there’s no existing GTA game that’s anywhere near as good as Ocarina Of Time, and I doubt that’s ever going to change.

So GTA 6 is not the shoe-in for game of the year a lot of people probably thought. It’s definitely still the favourite, I agree, because it’s got that not-remake advantage, but if Ocarina Of Time is the maximum effort we all hope it will be then I can definitely see it becoming GOTY, if not GOAT.

By reader Onibee

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

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EXCLUSIVE: Jenny Young said the political climate has not improved for women a decade after Cox’s brutal murder.

A Scottish Labour rising star has spoken out about the misogynistic abuse she has faced after only a few months in front line politics.

MSP Jenny Young lifted the lid on the sexism she has already experienced nearly ten years after the murder of party MP Jo Cox.

The 30 year old said she feared the hostile environment had not improved for women in politics in the decade since Cox’s death.

Cox, who was 41 at the time, was gunned down and stabbed to death by white supremacist Thomas Mair days before the Brexit referendum in 2016.

The mother-of-two’s brutal murder led to a national debate about the divisions in society and the danger posed to politicians.

Young, who was elected for the first time in May, is staging a debate next week to mark Cox’s death and celebrate her life.

Speaking to the Record, she said: “In some ways it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years already. I think it was just such a shocking event.

“I remember being totally stunned by it and being in total disbelief.

“It felt like it was important to not let that anniversary go by, but also to acknowledge Jo and the work she did with Oxfam, the work she’d done as a member of Parliament and with the Labour Women’s Network.”

The Central Scotland and Lothians West MSP said the divisions may be even worse now than they were then.

“As a country, we are angrier and unhappier than we were ten years ago, and we weren’t best pleased ten years ago, because folk voted for Brexit.”

Asked whether it has got any better for women in politics, she said: “I don’t think it’s got better. I think we would like to think that as a society we’re progressing, we’re moving forward and people are becoming more enlightened, but I don’t really think that’s the case at all.”

The former teacher, who grew up in Linlithgow, said of the people who have directed abuse at her during her short time in front line politics:

“They didn’t like me because I was a Labour candidate, or a Unionist or whatever, but it didn’t take long for the language to become very gendered as well. So I wasn’t just a unionist, I was a unionist cow.

“They would comment on my appearance. They would call me a bitch.”

Young said she would not feel comfortable campaigning on her own in broad daylight and tries not to look at social media replies:

“I post things, but I generally don’t look at the comments because they’re just so overwhelmingly negative.”

In apportioning blame, she names social media platforms for spreading hate, irresponsible media and right wing politicians:

“There’s a horrible breeding ground for all of those kind of worst impulses on social media. So I think the social media giants certainly haven’t helped.

“But the leadership, or the lack of leadership, that we’ve had for politicians in the last 10 years, has given that kind of rhetoric a voice in our country.”

She said the previous Conservative Government has to take responsibility for the divisions in society:

“I would lay a fair amount at the feet of Boris Johnson. I think some of the language he used and the way in which he behaved laid some of the groundwork for what Reform are now taking to its end stages.

“I don’t think the Tories could just say, ‘Oh, my goodness, we’re all to a man, reasonable people and where has this come from with these right wing people in the Reform Party?’.

“Because first of all, a lot of the people in Reform were until about a year ago members of the Conservative Party. But also what kind of language and culture was the Conservative government and the Conservative Party allowing to propagate?”

Young insists, despite the challenges faced by women, politics is a force for good.

“If I thought there was absolutely no hope, I would be going back to teaching.

“I still believe you can make a difference in politics and there are positive things.”

It comes after Labour MP Jess Phillips paid tribute to Cox at Westminster ahead of the anniversary of her death.

Phillips said she often thinks “what would Jo do now? What would Jo say in this circumstance?”.

She added: “I can think of no better person who could be here right now in the politics that we face today than Jo.

“There’s been a lot of talk recently about the boys club in politics, and we’ve seen a little bit behind some curtains, and what she definitely was trying to do was make a girls club.

“She would try and make sure that you were introduced to the right people in things that you were interested in, that she’d heard you talking about. If she had a connection, she wanted you to have it.

“But the greatest connection that Jo gave me was to invite me into her family.”

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A man who opened fire in the West Texas city of Midland in an attack Friday morning that left one person dead and 10 injured had shot at a police officer just days earlier during a chase, authorities said.

The suspect, 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal, already was being sought by authorities when he began firing at police and bystanders in Midland on Friday before barricading himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic, where he was eventually found dead, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Police have provided limited details about how the shooting unfolded. Police arrived in the area after receiving reports of an active shooter, and Mata Villarreal started firing at officers, said Midland Police Chief Greg Snow. Several officers were pinned down behind their patrol cars and had to be rescued by an armored vehicle, Snow said, but no officers were shot.

Police then got everyone out of the area. “We moved to deny more targets for this active shooter,” Snow said.

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The city with about 140,000 residents sits in the heart of the state’s oil and gas region and was near the site of a deadly shooting rampage in 2019.

In that shooting, a gunman who had been fired from his oil services job killed seven people and wounded two dozen others while firing at random as he drove around the Odessa and Midland areas. The two cities are more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) west of Dallas.

___

Associated Press reporters Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed.

CAIRO (AP) — Iranians are living between confusion and exhaustion as the country and its economy are squeezed between war and multiplying crises at home.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he called off fresh strikes on Iran as he claimed a deal to end the war was imminent. Back-and-forth strikes earlier this week pushed a shaky ceasefire to the edge of collapse, which, if it happens, would inflict more havoc on Iran’s battered economy.

Strikes on steel and petrochemical industries and energy infrastructure earlier in the war have spurred a wave of business closures and job losses in Iran, where people now struggle to afford groceries in the face of triple-digit food inflation.

Many Iranians are desperate for peace

Along with the cratering economy, the specter of war has left many people desperate for an end to the turmoil and deeply anxious about the future. Huraz Ahmadi, a 19-year-old street vendor in the capital of Tehran, said he feared renewed fighting.

“I don’t think they will reach an agreement, given the way things are going. But I hope they make a deal. An agreement is much better than war,” Ahmadi said. “In wars, innocent and good people die. I personally lost a relative.”

In the past year, Iranians have faced two wars – first Israel’s 12-day war in 2025 against Iran followed by a joint assault with the U.S. that began on Feb. 28. Both attacks were launched in the middle of talks about Iran’s nuclear program.

Fresh U.S. strikes on Monday sowed confusion in Iran’s capital following growing optimism that Tehran and Washington were nearing a deal. One Tehran resident in his late 20s said the echo of explosions and air defenses in the capital triggered “maybe a half hour of panic.” Long lines formed at gas stations, but people returned within hours to “living normally,” he said.

“War is also becoming normal. And that is very upsetting,” the resident said, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of security fears.

“Everybody is stressed out for a thousand reasons,” he added. “Our lives are constantly in this political game where we can’t plan anything or know what’s going to happen.”

A country ‘tired of instability’

A critical demand in talks for Iranian negotiators is that the U.S. deliver some kind of sanctions or economic relief, besides lifting a naval blockade that has throttled Iran’s oil exports as well as imports of raw materials and other goods.

Many business owners are struggling to survive, a member of a council representing Iranian industrialists said.

“The main concern of many industrialists and entrepreneurs is the survival of their businesses and production. The concern is about the disruption of the supply chain of raw materials, parts and machinery due to the cruel U.S. blockade,” Mehdi Bostanchi said.

Iran’s rial currency has also lost over half its value in the past year. Exchange rates have crashed to around 1.8 million rials to the dollar, compared with 41,600 rials 10 years ago.

Economic woes stoke unrest and fear

The deepening economic problems have stoked unrest in Iran. In January, security forces shot thousands of anti-government protesters in the streets. Arrests of protesters and those expressing support for them has continued through the war.

Alongside fear of their own leaders, Iranians who oppose the government also fear a return to open war, said a social media influencer and therapist who lives in central Tehran and has participated in past anti-government protests.

“The war isn’t anything but destruction for us. And in reality, the attacks that happened killed a number of ordinary people and destroyed a number of homes and residential buildings,” she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.

Residents contacted by The Associated Press also expressed worries that renewed conflict would lead Iranian authorities to cut internet service again. Repeated blackouts since the January protests have crippled what was a strong digital economy and stoked job losses. A partial restoration has seen a limited uptick in connectivity.

Next steps are unclear

A few hours after threatening to launch further attacks, Trump posted on social media that significant points in the negotiations “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved.” But a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said in a live phone call on state television that mediators were active and nothing had been finalized to end the conflict.

Iran’s ability to withstand U.S.-Israeli assaults and to close the globally strategic Strait of Hormuz has also rallied the Islamic Republic’s hard-liner base. Authorities have organized nightly rallies in past weeks as they try to project popular support for a tough stance in U.S. talks.

Hamid Reza Bani Ebrahimi, a 47-year-old merchant, said he opposed any agreement that would limit what he sees as Iran’s right to enrich uranium and develop nuclear technology. Israel and the U.S. have repeatedly struck sites and figures linked with the country’s atomic program.

“Our scientists worked so hard to acquire this technology, and then they came and martyred them,” Bani Ebrahimi said.

Abdullah Hosseini, a 45-year-old university professor in Tehran, said Iranian strikes on Gulf states and Jordan this past week were part of an effort to deter further attacks.

“I don’t like war. I am extremely worried about people and children being killed,” Hosseini said. “But sometimes war is necessary, and now is the time for Iran to stand against its enemy.”

But Tehran-based analyst Rahman Ghahremanpour said the back-and-forth strikes this week had deepened concerns in Iran that the conflict “could turn into a crisis without end and in reality make running the country more difficult” in the face of economic pressures.

“Both America and Iran are looking for a way out of this situation with honor and claiming victory so they can strengthen their own domestic situation,” he said.

Arup’s review into hikes at Bishopthorpe Road, Heworth, Micklegate in 2025 found while due process was technically followed, the way they were enacted did not follow best practice.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, City of York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said they welcomed the findings which acknowledged the challenge of tackling congestion and they valued the review’s recommendations.

But opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Stephen Fenton said the findings were a damning verdict on the administration’s disastrous handling of the hikes.

It comes as the independent review’s findings are set to be discussed by councillors on Tuesday, June 16.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Their publication follows a consultation which ran from December to February after the review was triggered by petitions lodged under the Traffic Management Act 2004’s Right to Challenge Parking Policies.

That followed hikes in 2025 which set parking charges at £4.85-an-hour for the first two from Sunday to Thursday and at £5.30-an-hour on Fridays, Saturdays and during events.

It saw charges at Bishopthorpe Road’s car park rise from 80p-an-hour and increases there and to on-street charges in Micklegate were later lowered following a backlash.

The ruling Labour group said at the time the increases were needed to tackle congestion but residents, traders and opposition councillors said they would harm local businesses.

Arup’s review received 1,016 responses across the four areas surveyed, including from 107 business owners and 909 residents and visitors.

Bishopthorpe Road car park (Image: Bishopthorpe Road Traders’ Association)

More than half, 56 per cent, of businesses who responded reported fewer customers and lower spending, while 15 per cent said there was no change.

More than four fifths, 81 per cent, of the residents and visitors who took part in the consultation drove to the destination under review.

Residents and visitors said they were using car parks less often, shortening their stays, leaving their vehicles elsewhere or travelling to different places.

Cheaper parking, improved public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling links were among suggested responses businesses, residents and visitors said the council could consider following the hikes.

Six businesses and 57 residents and visitors said they supported the increase in charges.

Consultants Arup said the hikes had broadly been in line with other similar places in the UK and the council had to balance competing priorities including dealing with congestion.

But they added the handling of the increases fed into local concerns which ultimately led to the review.

Arup’s recommendations following the review included looking free half-hour parking and other options to support short stays and promoting alternatives to driving.

They also called for more transparency and consultation on any future parking hikes, saying the latter had been absent at the time.

The review cost £120,000 to run, £30,000 across each of the four areas surveyed.

Council city development lead Garry Taylor said councillors would have the opportunity to discuss the findings alongside data for transport and the local economy at Tuesday’s Place Scrutiny Committee.

Opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Fenton said residents, traders and community groups had been telling them the hikes had hurt shops and made it harder to support local businesses.

He said: “Labour repeatedly dismissed those concerns, but this independent report shows they were right.

“Perhaps most tellingly, the report contains no evidence that the parking charge increases have achieved the modal shift Labour claimed they would deliver.”

Opposition economy spokesperson Cllr Ashley Mason said the Liberal Democrats called for spending £300,000 on introducing lower charges for half-hour stays but Labour chose not to support it.

Cllr Ravilious said the administration was seeking to balance survey respondents’ views with others including the quarter of residents who do not have a car.

She added the Liberal Democrats were unwilling to tackle the difficult issues caused by congestion.

Cllr Ravilious said: “The £300,000 investment the Liberal Democrats propose is populist cloud cuckoo economics.

“It wouldn’t be enough to freeze parking charges at last year’s prices, let alone reduce them.

“We value the recommendations that have emerged from the independent consultants but do not want to pre-empt the discussion and any proposals that will come from next week’s Scrutiny Committee meeting.”