SOUTHAMPTON'S transport boss has been told to scrap a controversial scheme to introduce night-time parking charges in the city centre.

Jill Baston was told in no uncertain terms by members of the city council's environment and transport standing scrutiny panel to throw out the plans, which would also see inner city residents paying £450 a year for a permit for a second vehicle.

The panel, which scrutinises all environment and transport policies proposed by the ruling Liberal Democrat party, said at a meeting last night that Cllr Baston should go away and re-think the initiative, which has caused outrage among the rest of the council.

A vote on the proposals at a meeting on Wednesday was 29 to 18 in favour of scrapping the project. But the Liberal Democrat group vowed to press ahead with the charges anyway, forcing councillors to invoke the "call-in" procedure, alleging that the cabinet had acted outside its powers.

At last night's meeting, when councillors were again invited to give their views on the issue, the majority of scrutiny panel members agreed that the plans should be vetoed, but a final decision will not be made until the scheme is discussed again at a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

The panel came up with a number of other recommendations they wanted to see put in place if the scheme was eventually agreed, including reducing the proposed £450 parking permit for second vehicles to £50 and giving free night-time parking permits to people working in the city at night.

Labour councillor and panel member Simon Letts said: "You can dress it up in environmental terms, but this policy is largely designed as a revenue-making exercise."

Fellow panel member Tory Gavin Dick added that the policy did not comply with Cllr Baston's belief that motorists should pay for the parking service because the charges were only being introduced in the city centre.

Cllr Baston said she was prepared to listen to suggestions, but defended the policy.

She said: "I think the need for extra controls is there just as it is during the day. Parking needs managing and that costs money. It has always been traditional of parking charges that the user pays for the service that is there."