Plans to charge drivers for parking their cars at work have divided members of Essex County Council.

At a full council meeting yesterday, Conservative members presented a minority report hitting back at the proposals.

When put to the vote, the report was accepted by the council with 37 voting in favour and 36 against.

Two Liberal Democrats abstained from voting and Ken Jones, (Lib Dem, Park) chairman of the environmental board, failed to turn up for the meeting.

Ron Williams, Conservative spokesman for the environmental board, said: "The purpose of the proposal is said to be to discourage those who use their cars to get to work by charging them to park there.

"We believe it would do nothing of the sort for the simple reason that particularly those in rural parts of Essex have no satisfactory alternative."

Ian Gale, (Lib Dem, Chelmsford East) Liberal Democrat highways spokesman, said even if the proposal turned out to be a "damp squib" it would be worth giving it a trial run.

He continued: "There are no proposals to force workplace charging on districts which do not wish to take part. However districts which are interested should have the option to consider pilot studies.

"Any charge would be likely to fall on employers and not directly on motorists as has been suggested."

Mr Gale added that any strategy would have to include consultation with the public and include improved public transport.

The situation was set to be discussed again at another meeting today.

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