Car parking fees on way across Dudley borough nature reserves
Parking charges could be brought in at parks and nature reserves across the Dudley borough.
Council bosses said new charges are among cost-cutting options being considered. No beauty spots are seemingly off limits with documents listing parks, nature reserves and 'open spaces' as places where fees could be introduced.
The authority is set to spend £70,000 on new pay and display machines.
Finance bosses admitted when the budget proposals were published in October that parking charges were under review in order to raise more money.
The authority needs to save £25 million over the next three years and has already caused controversy by proposing to raise council tax by almost five per cent.
It has budgeted for making an extra £93,000 from its parks by 2020 from 'corporate events, activity courses, sponsorship and new parking charges'.
Some attractions in the borough already have parking charges, such as Himley Hall and Park but many others are currently free.
Environment boss Councillor Hilary Bills said: "There is a strategic review right across Dudley and in that we are comparing what we do with other authorities.
"Some authorities charge at green spaces and we will be looking at if it is something we should do. If we do it we want to make sure we don't penalise the people of Dudley.
"We are experimenting having two hours free parking in some town centres – that is also part of the review."
Councillor Paul Brothwood, leader of the opposition UKIP group, said he did not believe charging for parking at beauty spots was the way to go.
He said: "We are trying to encourage people to use our beautiful green spaces, on the health agenda we want people to be out and about in the countryside and using parks.
The last thing we should be doing is disincentivising use of our great parks."
Neighbouring Sandwell Council made the controversial decision to introduce parking charges at Sandwell Valley Country Park in West Bromwich last year, which proved unpopular with many.
Other cost-cutting measures include spending almost £3m on installing new LED bulbs in streetlights.
