IT aims to raise £75,000 a year but will cost more than £250,000 to implement.

A controversial plan to scrap the free parking enjoyed by more than 10,000 Blue Badge holders in the New Forest is today at the centre of a new row.

Civic chiefs have been accused of wasting public money after accelerating plans to replace equipment installed only nine years ago.

Disabled motorists will have to pay to use car parks owned by the district council under proposals approved this week.

Town hall bosses say the move will raise vital income for the authority.

But almost 50 ticket machines across the Forest will need to be replaced with modern devices that can be operated by wheelchair users.

The new meters and other alterations to car parks will cost a total of £260,000, which means the scheme will not even pay for itself for more than three years.

The Tory-run council says the existing machines are nearing the end of their working life and would have been replaced anyway.

However, the Daily Echo can reveal that some of the equipment was not due to be ripped out until 2019.

Last night members of the Liberal Democrat opposition group complained that the replacement programme was being brought forward by several years.

Councillor Malcolm Wade said: “Surely in the current economic times the Conservative administration should stop this ridiculous waste of council tax p a y e r s ’ money.”

A council spokeswoman confirmed that 49 pay and display machines would be replaced with new ones that complied with the latest British Standard recommendations.

But she stressed that all new meters were designed for use by the disabled, which meant that no extra cost would be involved.

Members of the Tory group include Cllr Allan Glass, himself a Blue Badge holder.

He described the existing ticket machines as “worn out” and praised the authority’s plan to improve facilities for the disabled.

A report to councillors confirmed that new meters and other changes were needed, and said it would be wrong to attribute the entire cost to the decision affecting Blue Badge owners.

“All the current machines are coming to the end of their useful life and are due for replacement in the near future,” it said.