CLAIMS that controversial Sunday car parking charges are to come into force in the autumn after Somerset Council scrapped a promised public consultation have been refuted.

The council has assured that “no changes will take place before the consultation is complete”.

The bankruptcy-threatened council announced plans to impose Sunday car park fees in the venues which do not already have a charge as it set its budget earlier in the year.

In response to a public backlash against the measure it offered to hold a consultation exercise before any changes were made.

However, a report given at a highways working group meeting of its Wellington and Wiveliscombe local community network stated the council “currently lacks the resources to proceed with the required consultation” and that the money-raising new charges would be going ahead anyway with effect from October.

The council has previously postponed its plans to start charging in formerly free car parks in Wiveliscombe and Milverton following community protests led by the authority’s Green party group leader Cllr Dave Mansell.

It said the delay would allow discussions to be held with Cllr Mansell and other local councillors, following which it expected to hold a public consultation later in the year.

The future for other free car parks in towns and villages including Wellington, Minehead, Blue Anchor, Kilve, and Wheddon Cross was unclear.

The council is also planning to bring in on-street parking in towns such as Minehead for the first time, but has not said when they will begin, although as a concession to opposition it will allow 30 minutes free.

Additional plans for overnight charges in all of the council’s more than 200 car parks across Somerset were dropped in March when nearly 3,000 people signed an online protest petition against the move.

The council said the new charging regime would ensure there was ‘consistency’ in car parking across all of Somerset’s different communities.

In response, a Somerset Council spokesperson said this week: “We have been made aware of confusing reports around changes to car parking in Somerset.

“We have always been clear that proposals to introduce Sunday car parking charges are subject to public consultation and this will happen later this year.

“We would like to reiterate that no changes will take place before the consultation is complete and all responses have been considered.

“Further details of the consultation are being finalised and will be publicised shortly.”