Stockport council is planning to bring in new charges at some of its 52 free car parks.

The move was voted through last year as part of town hall's budget proposals, which included a review of all car parks in the borough which are currently free to use.

Bosses believe introducing charges will bring in an extra £270,000 a year to help cover the cost of running the car parks, helping the council plug a black hole in its finances which is set to hit £60m by 2028/29.

A list has been drawn up of car parks across the borough where drivers will soon have to pay to park their cars. Charges will begin from 50p for an hour up to £2.40 for ten hours, through a pay-and-display machine for cash payments or using a mobile app.

Yearly parking passes can be bought for £297 for Monday to Fridays, or £356 for seven days a week. But residents and councillors have shared concerns about the impact of the move.

During a meeting at the Werneth area committee on Monday (January 27), John McNeil – chair of governors at Bredbury St Mark's CE Primary School – said the charges would create problems in the local community.

Redhouse Lane car park next to the school is included in the council's plans for new fees. But Mr McNeil said this would make it harder for parents and staff to get to work or collect their children due to the school having only 12 of its own parking spaces and 34 members of staff.

Redhouse Lane Car Park is included in the changes (Image - Google Maps)

He also said there is a local children's centre in the area where clients in "vulnerable" positions rely on free parking to access the services.

He added: "We're not aware of any consultation that's gone on with the school, the first we knew about it was today (January 27).

"Parents drop off their children and use the car park, under this proposal they would have to pay for that. I imagine they [parents] will park on the road, adding to the congestion and also the danger to the children who walk to school from crossing the road."

Labour councillor Joe Barratt said plans to charge for parking at Redhouse Lane car park "amounts to a teacher tax" on the school's staff.

He added: "There are a number of staff that currently use that free car park that will have to pay at the level that the charges are being proposed, close to £500 if they had to pay every day during the school working day.

"There is the option to pay for the permit for a year, around £300, it is a teacher tax in my opinion."

Cllr Barratt also questioned whether the council had considered the impact it would have on vulnerable households – a policy the council adopted last year known as the socio-economic duty.

(Image - Nub News)

A council officer said the town hall could speak to the school about a park and stride scheme, where during certain times of day permits can be used by parents to drop off and pick up children, or enforcement is temporarily suspended.

Stockport council deputy leader Mark Roberts said that the council has been forced to bring in the new parking charges to balance the books.

"None of this is stuff we want to do or choose to do, but as a council we are faced with chronic underfunding," he added.

"If it comes to charging for car parks or keeping our pools open or our libraries open, they're the difficult decisions we're elected to make.

"As far as I'm concerned, charging for car parks is the lesser of two evils when it comes to that."

Free car parks in Stockport set to have new charges include:

• Redhouse Lane car park (Bredbury & Woodley)
• Guywood Lane, Romiley Railway Station car park (Bredbury Green & Romiley)
• Derby Range (Heatons North)
• Didsbury Road (Heatons South)
• Ashbrook Lane, Margaret Street and Rupert Street (Reddish North)
• Torkington Park (Hazel Grove)
• Church Road (Cheadle West & Gatley Ward)
• Church Road ( Heald Green)
• Andrew Street, Brabyns Brow (Brabyns Brow Lower), Middlers (Brabyns Brow Upper) and Brabyns Park (Marple North)
• Brookside Lane, Buxton Road Library, Buxton Road Medical Centre, Hibbert/Church Lane and the Windlehurst Road High Lane Park car park (Marple South)
• Hallam Street car park and Green Street car park (Davenport & Cale Green)
• Arnold Street and Arnold Street/Hardcastle Road (Edgeley)
• Bramley Close car park in Bramhall  next to the railway line, not the health centre/library car park (Bramhall South & Woodford)
• Church Road/Woods Lane car park (Cheadle Hulme South)

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