Proposals to start charging car park users have been temporarily deferred.
At an Epping Town Council meeting on Tuesday (October 9) plans to introduce parking charges at the Stonards Hill car park in Epping were postponed until North Essex Parking Partnership's new charging schemes elsewhere come into affect in March 2019.
The chamber was split as to whether charging was a good idea.
Some such as Councillor Barbara Scruton, expressed concerns that making punters pay could deter users of the play area.
She said: ""People go there to use the play area, we may lose what the park is about.
"If you charge, it has to be policed and there is a cost to that as well."
Cllr Nigel Avey, town mayor, suggested charging could deter commuters from claiming them as their own during work hours.
Although Stonards Hill is closed until 9.05am to stop rush hour commuters taking the spaces, it is thought taxis and local workers use the car park for long periods during the day.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel