VILLAGERS who asked for help to stop people misusing their car park are outraged at council plans to install pay and display machines.

Residents claimed people were using the car park, opposite the White Hart pub in Padiham Road, Sabden, for the private sale of cars and dumping untaxed veh-icles.

Ribble Valley Council, which owns the car park, drew up plans for introducing long stay pay and display machines and these were initially backed by Sabden Parish Council.

But following two stormy public meetings at which villagers voiced their opposition, the parish council has now thrown its weight behind the protests.

The district council said the plans would include long stay parking permits for residents costing £45 a year. Standard tariffs would be 30p for up to one hour, 70p for up to four hours and £1.40 for up to eight hours.

Councillors have been asked to make a decision on the proposals at this Thursday's planning committee meeting at Clitheroe Town Hall.

Coun Antony Haworth, parish council chairman, said: "We were receiving lots of complaints about people parking illegally and dumping unlicensed vehicles so we asked for help from Ribble Valley Council.

"We agreed in principle to the idea of car park charges to deter these types of things, but it quickly became clear that residents were against it.

"The main complaints have come from people in Padiham Road, the main road through the village, who have always used the car park because they have no driveways and there are double yellow lines outside their house.

"Like many villages, car parking is at a premium in Sabden because house-holds tend to have two cars these days. That means there isn't enough space on the roads and people need this car park.

"But residents can't have it both ways. We either pay the charges or run the risk of misuse."

Graham Jagger, the council's streetscene manager, said: "This is part of our policy, decided when the budget was set last year, to introduce car parking charges where we think necessary.

"At the same time the parish council raised concerns about the misuse of the car park. If they go against that the car park will remain unmanaged and the problems will remain."

If given the green light, Sabden would join Clitheroe, Longridge, Ribchester and Slaidburn in having car parking charges.