A row erupted today as Essex County Council wrongly announced Colchester wanted to be a national pilot area for extra parking taxes.

Terry Sutton, chairman of Colchester Council's planning and transportation committee, said: "The county council has jumped a huge gun over this.

"Our expressing interest and asking for more information has been taken completely out of context and we have been billed as the top pilot and are going for it.

"We have made no decision whatsoever. We are uncommitted," he said.

Mr Sutton said councillors had looked in March at the workplace parking charges scheme, along with all other measures included in the Government's Integrated Transport White Paper and in its "breaking the log-jam" consultation paper.

He added once full details of the scheme were received, they would be considered in the overall package of measures for "breaking the log-jam" in Colchester.

The Government is seeking eight pilot areas to test out the idea of workplace parking charges with the money raised ploughed back into local transport schemes.

But an Essex County Council press release today said the council had agreed to consider being a pilot area without dissent from any party member.

It added Colchester councillors would make a decision on whether to ask to be put forward as one of eight pilot schemes in the whole country after the results on the Future Moves Consultation and Transportation Summit findings have been considered in August.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: "It appears perhaps that the bride and bridegroom have slightly different interpretations as to the date of the wedding or whether they are engaged or not.

"As far as the county council is concerned, Colchester has at some stage expressed an interest in the pilot scheme.

"Clearly they have not yet made a decision although we were led to believe the time they would make it was August.

"As the highways authority we have to pass on any expressed interest to the Government. We have cleared the way if Colchester so decide to put their name forward to become one of the pilot areas."

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