COUNCIL bosses have dismissed a 4,200 signature protest petition and pressed ahead with new charges for car parking at Witton Country Park.

Despite Blackburn with Darwen leisure chief Damian Talbot admitting the document was the largest the authority had ever received, the borough’s council forum voted to impose the new fees.

The charges of 50 pence for two hours or £1.50 all day, at the main car park on Preston Old Road and its counterpart by the astroturf football pitches, will generate £50,000 annually to be spent on investing in the 400-acre park and on upgrading lighting.

Tory group leader, Cllr John Slater, attacked the decision as ‘short-sighted’ and damaging to the health of the people of the borough.

The petition said: “We the undersigned want the council to understand the importance of Witton park to the local and wider community and to rethink the proposed car parking charges that will ultimately deter people from getting healthy, happy and enjoying a fantastic free facility in a town that has been severely hit financially in recent years”.

It warned the charges would deter people from using the park, especially for the ‘Couch to 5K’ runs, cost volunteers cash, and cause traffic chaos as people parked on nearby streets.

Cllr Slater said: “This is a disgusting decision.

“It is short-sighted and will be damaging to the health of the people of the borough, supposedly one of the council’s priorities.

“The Council Forum has ignored what Cllr Talbot admits is the biggest petition ever received by the authority so there is no sign of a listening Labour leadership.”

Cllr Talbot said: “We did not wish to introduce this charge.

“There is a free car park at Tower Road nearby with direct pedestrian access to the park for those who do not wish to pay the new charges.”

Petition organiser Abbie Bartlett, 23, said: “I’m bitterly disappointed that the council have rejected the petition and don’t understand how the voices of more than4,200 people can be ignored.

“People in the area don’t have a lot of money and this will hit them hard.”

Cllr David Foster, leader of the Liberal Democrat group said: “It think this is a reasonable charge although it is unfortunate that the council has been forced by government cuts to impose it.”