From Guardian-Many churches give out holy communion wine and wafers to the faithful. In Woking, Surrey, congregations can also queue up to have their free parking permits validated. But this privilege of churchgoing, however, is about to be challenged.
The National Secular Society (NSS) is challenging Woking borough council in the courts, warning that the exemption amounts to direct discrimination against non-believers who must still pay to park in the town centre on Sunday mornings.
The issue has become increasingly contentious as more councils scrap free evening and Sunday parking in pursuit of additional streams of income. The charges were initially denounced as a "tax on worshippers", so a number of local authorities – including Wyre council in Lancashire and Canterbury city council – responded by setting up "worship parking permit" schemes.
Woking, which established its scheme in May 2012, is the authority that the NSS has chosen to target for a test case, exploring whether the preferential treatment amounts to a breach of the Equality Act 2010.
Their letter of claim, sent by lawyers Leigh Day, explains that the local Anglican Christ Church, evangelical Coign Church and Trinity Methodist Church have all been provided by the council with ticket validating machines. Woking United Reform Church gives out council-backed parking permits to churchgoers valid between 9.30am and 1pm on Sundays.
More here-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/02/atheists-churches-free-parking
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