COUNCILLORS fighting plans to increase charges on car parks owned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have managed to get the proposals looked at again at a specially-convened committee meeting.

Five Conservative borough councillors - Phil Heath, Christine Heath, Horace Mitchell, Mark Ruffell and Marilyn Tucker - have used the council's call-in procedure to ensure the decision is debated at an extraordinary meeting of the council's scrutiny committee on January 5.

The plans to increase charges and introduce new ones have been put forward by the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet at the council.

But Cllr Phil Heath, who is a member of the scrutiny committee, claims the additional revenue gained from the hiked charges will enable the ruling administration to manage its books and keep its council tax increase in 2005-6 to 2.5 per cent.

He said: "It just is not fair that people who come in to do shopping should fund the plug in the council tax."

Cllr Heath and his four colleagues will appear before the scrutiny committee to outline their opposition. Members then have the option of either supporting the plans for increases or asking the Cabinet to reconsider its decision.

Council leader Cllr Brian Gurden said: "We will give full weight and attention to any views expressed by scrutiny and come to our decision in light of that."

Responding to complaints about the lack of weight that was given to public consultation on the original proposals, Cllr Gurden said: "Personally, I thought it was perfectly adequate, but my administration has always been willing to bend over backwards to extend consultation."

Council Cabinet chiefs have also agreed to extend the period of public consultation on the changes until the special meeting. The original two-month consultation ended in October with 125 replies and widespread opposition from business people, churches and residents.

The new consultation will run until 5pm on January 4.

The borough council's ruling Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet agreed to ditch some aspects of the original parking strategy after the earlier consultation.

But the plans they decided to go ahead with include increasing charges in April in line with "inflation over the last two years" and introducing a flat rate Sunday daytime charge of £1 on council-owned town centre car parks, apart from Castons Yard.

Under the plans, a stay of up to three hours in Central Car Park, Joices Yard and Feathers Yard will increase by 10p to £1.60, while parking for more than six hours at Sarum Hill, Castons Car Park, Southern Road, Churchill Way and Churchill Way East will cost £3.80 - a rise of 10p.

To comment on the revised plans, e-mail transport@basingstoke.gov.uk or write to the transport section at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH.

You can view the parking strategy by visiting www.basingstoke.gov.uk/parking/consultation2004.asp