Angry councillors are pressing Basingstoke and Deane bosses to ditch plans to charge to park overnight in a South View car park.
Earlier this month, the council’s cabinet gave green-lighted proposals to bring in a £1 overnight fee at Vyne Meadow car park, on Vyne Road.
But Labour group ward councillors have slammed the plans, claiming it would hit residents pockets unfairly.
Norden Councillor Paul Harvey said: “The issue appears to just be a money making exercise that will hit residents very hard.”
In April 2009, all of the borough’s 10 long stay car parks had a £1 overnight charge introduced with the exception of Vyne Meadow – where it is currently free to park overnight.
However, if the council’s proposed budget is implemented in the New Year then from April overnight charges from 6pm until 8am will be brought in.
Cllr Harvey told the Basingstoke Observer that the 345-space car park is used by many residents because they are unable to find street parking outside their homes.
By introducing the charge, residents using the car park could be asked to fork out an extra £365 per year – on top of a £25 annual residents permit.
Along with fellow Nordon councillor George Hood, Paul Harvey is pressuring council chiefs to waive the charge for residents forced to use the car park.
The Labour group said they canvassed more than 500 residents in South View and more than 90 per cent were in favour of the move.
Cllr Harvey said: “We have no problem it bringing in the charge to non-residents and commuters but we want the people who have their resident parking permit to be able to use it overnight free of charge.”
He blamed the “chronic shortage” of on street parking in South View as the reason why the car park is being used by residents.
The group will appeal to Leader of the Council Andrew Finney and Cabinet Member for Communities, Sport and Leisure Clive Sanders in the New Year.
Cllr Sanders said he was not aware of the issue but warned that such measures would be difficult to police.
He said: “We need to balance income and expenditure in the borough and we would need to put in a system of policing that could cost more than would be saved.”
But he said he would consider proposals when presented with the details.
He said: “We are not a malevolent force just trying to make money. When they present it to me I will be happy to look at it and any decision that is made will be based purely on fact.”
