NEW figures released by New Forest District Council's Liberal Democrat opposition have indicated that car parking charges for non-residents in the Forest's towns and villages would have brought in over £500,000 per year.

The charges were dropped by the council's new Conservative administration after it won power from the Lib Dems earlier this year.

Since then, the Tories have been accused of cutting services and budgets in order to make up the shortfall.

And a letter to Lib Dem councillor Bob Hale from the district financial services department has indicated that if there were charges in the ten car parks selected for pay and display meters, the net income for one year would have been £518,710.

Service accountancy manager Kevin Green pointed out that the figure had to be an estimated one as the charges were only in effect in five car parks for a full year.

But Lib Dem leader Maureen Robinson predicted that in order to manage without parking fees, the council would have to introduce further cuts.

Ms Robinson said: "In the long term, they will have to increase charges elsewhere or cut services. We have already seen that happening.

"They cannot sustain the running of the district council in the way that New Forest residents would like to see without parking charges."

The Conservatives made a pre-election pledge that charges would be withdrawn and, after standing by that pledge, council leader Simon Hayes has said cuts have been made because the previous administration had underspent on its budget.

In light of the Lib Dems' new figures, Mr Hayes said: "Estimates are meaningless. The Lib Dems have put out all sorts of spurious figures.

"The higher they make the loss appear, the more foolish they can try to make us look.

"But we deal in reality and the figures we were given in committee and all the way through stands at £231,000.

"That's not disputable."

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