A MOTHER is calling on her neighbours to protest against “unfair and outrageous” parking charge increases outside a busy tube station.

Jennifer Gaughan, of Empress Avenue, Woodford Green, used to pay £64 for her monthly season ticket to use Charteris Road Car Park near Woodford Station.

But after Redbridge Council increased charges by 22 per cent, the 56-year-old mother-of-two has refused to renew her monthly parking pass.

She said: “When the charges went up I looked up what was happening to other car parks in the borough and found that while seven car parks in Woodford are going up in price, four in Ilford are actually going down.

“This is completely one-sided and unfair.”

Mrs Gaughan wrote to the council to complain and was told the car park in Charteris Road has the “highest usage level in the borough” so charges have been increased to “stimulate availability” in the hope some people will choose to park elsewhere.

She added: “I don’t think it being popular is a good enough reason to justify increasing it by the amount they have.

“I haven’t renewed my parking ticket because I refuse to pay £78 a month, but my husband and daughter work in the city so they have no choice.

“We all pay our taxes, so it’s not fair we should be treated any differently to people elsewhere.

“I am surprised more people aren’t complaining about this. I would like to see other people making a noise about it.”

MP for Chingford and Woodford Green Iain Duncan Smith has echoed Mrs Gaughan’s concerns and has urged Redbridge Council to reconsider.

He said: “A 22 per cent parking ticket price hike is simply outrageous.

“It appears there is a discrepancy in the area and such price levels should be fair and not come to the detriment of commuters who will clearly be hit by this.”

His Conservative colleague in Monkhams ward, Cllr Linda Huggett, added: “This isn’t fair, there shouldn’t be any disparity in prices.

“A question is being put to the council on this tomorrow (July 21) and if we don’t get a sensible answer, we will be taking the matter further.

“The car park is one of the sites listed as a potential development site for housing in the Redbridge Local Plan, so there’s a possibility they are increasing prices to justify selling it off.”

Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment.