A DECISION on possible new car parking charges at High Woods Country Park has been put off.

Charges to park at the park’s visitor centre, off Turner Road, were proposed by senior Colchester councillors Tina Dopson and Martin Hunt.

The move drew criticism from other councillors, who claimed park users had not been consulted and questioned suggestions the charges might earn the council £11,000 a year.

There were also concerns park users would simply leave their cars in nearby residential streets instead of paying to use the car park.

Now the council’s cabinet has agreed to defer a decision while officials look again at the implications of charging.

But speaking of the proposal, Lib Dem Mr Hunt, who is councillor responsible for street and waste services, said: “I think it was the right decision. I imagine we will come back with a similar decision.”

The charges were suggested as part of measures to bring in more money to compensate for cash lost from Government grants.

Supporters also suggested charging would discourage staff and patients at nearby Colchester General Hospital from parking there.

Tory councillors led the calls to keep free parking. Sue Lissimore, the opposition Tory group’s spokesman on economic development, was highly critical of the charging plan, dismissing information upon which it was based as “complete guesswork”.

She said: “They’re guessing 50 cars are using it a day and guessing they will lose £1,500 in income from people not using it if they charge for it. There’s been no consultation and nobody’s been asked why they use it.”