Conservative members of South Norfolk Council voted in favour of the new charging structure, which has been heavily criticised by the towns involved, at the council's annual meeting on Monday evening.

The proposal, which applies to Diss, Harleston, Wymondham and Loddon, had been amended before being presented to the council.

Following complaints from Diss Town Council, all car parks in the town have been classified as short stay and the cost of parking for more than four hours reduced from £5 to £3.

The first hour will be free, the second £1, two to three hours £1.50 and three to four hours £2.00.

A proposal for free parking on Saturday afternoons in Diss, in order to help local traders, was rejected, with the town's representatives on the council, Tony Palmer and Glynn Walden, abstaining from the vote.

A second proposal, to keep the current level of charges in Wymondham, was also rejected.

South Norfolk Council leader John Fuller said an agreement had been made in principle with Harleston Town Council about car parking in the town.

He explained that discussions had taken place last week about leasing Bullock Fair Close and Broad Street car parks to the town council for an annual fee.

This two year arrangement between the district and town council would mean the continuation of free car parking in the town.

Councillor Murray Gray, leader of the Liberal Democrats, described the way the process was handled as 'a dog's breakfast' and questioned the order in which it had been carried out.

Speaking to Mr Fuller, he said: "You should have started by talking to each of the market towns and the surrounding villages about the parking management of each town.

"That's what you are doing now on the hoof.

"You are ending up with inconsistency across the district, which none of the towns actually want."

But Mr Fuller said he thought the charging scheme would benefit all the towns involved.

"I believe that when the signs go up, residents will say what was all the fuss about," he said.

"We cannot stay as the status quo - we have to change."

The new car parking charges will start on October 1.

Read the background to this story here.

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