Carlisle City Council looks set to scrap a controversial evening parking policy introduced at The Sands Centre following public opposition.

The parking charges came into force in April, meaning customers had to pay until midnight when previously they had only paid up to 6pm.

The climbdown emerged after councillors gave the green light for a £19m revamp of the entertainment and leisure venue last month.

Deputy leader Dr Les Tickner said the parking U-turn was down to the disruption caused by building work carried out during the redevelopment.

He added: “But we also realise that the move [to introduce evening parking charges] was not a popular one.”

Any decision to scrap the parking charges will be revisited when the building work on the Sands is completed.

The original charge applied to the Sands Centre and Swift Bank car parks – and was in force from 8.30am until midnight.

The move proved unpopular at the time, with customers complaining that they would have to pay £2.90 on top of their ticket price and booking fee just to park their cars.

Many people took to social media to vent their frustrations, with gym-goers threatening to stop their membership and others accusing the council of “greed”.

Meanwhile, there is also good news for drivers elsewhere in the city, with the council set to freeze car park and pay and display saver permit charges for the next financial year.

The move comes as it takes stock of the “full impact” of a parking overhaul launched earlier this year in a bid to boost trade by encouraging customers to stay in the city longer.

The measures included:

nEarly bird tariffs for people paying before 9.30am in The Sands, West Walls and the Viaduct car parks

nLower all day tariffs on most city council car parks with significant reductions in West Walls, Paddy’s Market and The Sands.

The centre’s revamp will see a new swimming pool created, replacing The Pools in James Street.