A DECISION to introduce the first pay and display car parking in Darwen has been slammed.

The Railway Road and Atlas Road car parks, which are primarily used by commuters to the railway station, are set to stop being free of charge and drivers will instead have to pay.

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It will be the first time Blackburn with Darwen Council has decided to bring pay and display into the town.

Town MP Jake Berry has criticised the plans saying they will make life ‘difficult’ for people while some councillors believe the charges could cost commuters ‘a fortune’.

Cllr Phil Riley, the council’s executive member for regeneration and co-decision maker, however said the plans were ‘not unfair’.

Mr Berry said: “Yet again this is more evidence that Labour-run Blackburn Council doesn’t care about Darwen and seem adamant on doing everything to make life as difficult as possible.

“I would call on them to take a long hard look at this decision and change their mind.”

The report from Cllr Riley and Cllr Jim Smith, executive member for environment, states that charging for the car parks will bring it in line with others in the borough used by rail users.

The decision will be final unless other councillors call it in for review.

The off-street council car parks in the town are free all day apart from the markets one which has a time limit of three hours with no return in four.

Cllr David Foster, borough representative for Whitehall, said: “The introduction of charges is the thin of the wedge. How long before others are introduced?”

In the decision report, it is stated that the set up of both car parks will cost the council £12,750. All other car parks in the town centre will remain free.

Cllr Julie Slater, borough representative for East Rural, said: “We want people to use public transport to reduce congestion and instead the people that are contributing to that effort are now going to get charged.

“It will cost people a fortune.”

Cllr Riley said: “We are looking at ways of increasing revenue and it was felt that given the car parks are used primarily by people who work in other towns that a small charge would be viewed as fair.”

“It is not unfair to expect people who are parking on council property and leaving their cars all day to pay a small charge.

“The council is trying to find £48million worth of cuts and we have to look every opportunity to help us do this.”