A SCHEME to charge up to 500 workers for parking at Teignbridge Council's headquarters has been voted through despite strong objections from union members.

Teignbridge Council's executive committee voted through the green travel plan which includes a daily parking charge for all council workers, visitors and councillors at Forde House.

The scheme, which will be capped at 50p a day for 12 months, could be rolled out by October. The authority estimates the car parking proposal could generate an extra £30,000 per year, which would be ring-fenced under the Workplace Charging Legislation.

Unison representative Christine Bolton said: "We are disappointed they voted through work place charges.

"We do support the green travel plan, but we don't believe charges should be brought into it."

Ms Bolton said she and other Unison members were pleased the executive had scrapped the controversial two tier parking charges which would have seen staff with older, more polluting cars, paying £1 a day, double that of other employees.

About 30 staff members came to hear the debate at the Executive meeting yesterday.

Ms Bolton told the meeting: "This whole idea of waving a stick by introducing car parking charges is wrong. We are facing a pay freeze this year and this is yet another thing council staff will have to worry about."

Ms Bolton said it was unrealistic to expect staff who live in rural areas to leave their cars at home.

Payment would be made via three solar-powered charging machines on a daily basis.

The cost of implementing the scheme would be in the region of £11,000, not including enforcement.

Incentives including a new cycle compound, showers and toilets and free cycle training have been met with derision by Unison members.

Ms Bolton said: "Spending sums of money on better shower and toilet facilities and bike sheds will not help staff at all."

Cllr Rosalind Prowse's comments were greeted with applause when she said: "I feel they are getting a pay deduction by having to pay to park their cars."

Other councillors openly supported the parking charges agreeing with Cllr Gordon Hook's sentiment that the council should lead by example. Cllr Ray Frost said: "We have to have a green travel plan in the times in which we live."

Councillors voted in favour of the green travel plan with an amended parking scheme which included getting rid of the two tier parking charges; not charging people who had electric or hybrid cars; further consultation with staff; not charging visitors to the council offices for the first hour or possibly more dependent on further research about waiting times; and consulting with staff about how to use the revenue which is raised.