FOREST councillors will decide tomorrow (Thursday) if car parking charges in Mitcheldean will be scrapped. Members of the Cabinet have been requested by the full council to consider removing the charges in Mitcheldean car park despite it creating an estimated shortfall in income of £5,700 per annum.

Since its introduction in July 2012, a council Community Impact Assessment survey has recognised the "negative impact of parking charges on the village of Mitcheldean and the small businesses that operate from its centre, as well as the inconvenience to users of the library and doctors surgery."

Councillor Ian Whitburn (Non-Aligned Ind, Mitcheldean and Drybrook) said: "I put in the motion for the removal of the car parking charges at the last full council meeting and it was passed by a large majority.

"Mitcheldean is not a town centre and when it was first announced they would fall under the new income regime I was shocked. Small businesses in the village have really suffered as, unlike the towns, there aren't many of them to share the cost of lost income.

"I really hope the Cabinet decide to remove the charges and look at a way of getting the money lost that won't affect Mitcheldean."

The issue will be discussed during a Cabinet meeting at the Forest of Dean District Council in Coleford at 5.30pm.