A CALL to cut car parking charges in Ryedale has been made after a council's £261,000 windfall.

Ryedale District Council's policy and resources committee will tonight debate what to do with the increased money from car park charges and recycling grants.

Councillor Paul Andrews said the money should be used to reinstate services which suffered from cuts made to balance the council budget.

He said he wanted to see car parking charges reduced and two public toilets, at Wentworth Street, Malton, and Staxton Hill, re-opened after becoming cutback victims.

Coun Andrews said: "I can see no reason why the increased charges cannot be reversed.

"The council has an order under which it can charge a maximum fee but there would be nothing to prevent it introducing lesser charges."

Coun Andrews said traders in Malton and Norton had suffered from the rise in parking charges.

He said if they were returned to last year's levels, and the toilets were re-opened, it would still leave £90,000 of the £261,000 available.

That money, he said, could help those hit by the June 19 floods in the Bilsdale, Hawnby and Helmsley areas.

Alternatively, money could be allocated from the council's £8.7m reserves, said Coun Andrews.

The councillor will seek special dispensation to address members of the policy committee because he is not a member.