PEOPLE wanting to use the Halbeath Park and Ride facility, near Crossgates, will soon have to pay £1 to park their car.

Cowdenbeath Area Committee backed the proposal on Wednesday after Conservative councillor Darren Watt failed to get a seconder for his move to oppose the proposed rise.

Cowdenbeath member, Councillor Watt, was concerned that passing the proposal would open the door for further rises.

The decision left the Fife Council Conservative Group disappointed, 'if unsurprised', at the decisions by SNP/Labour-dominated ranks on the Cowdenbeath and South West Area committees, to set aside 285 objections to the proposed parking charges at Halbeath & Ferrytoll.

Of the 285 objections, 16 came from Cowdenbeath, 10 from Crossgates and eight from Lochgelly. There were also objections lodged from Cardenden, Kelty, Kinglassie and Hill of Beath.

Cowdenbeath Area chair, Councillor Linda Erskine, moved acceptance of the proposal and when Councillor Watt moved an amendment he could not find a seconder.

Councillor Watt said after the meeting: “I think it was a spineless and cynical move to implement charges at the park and ride facilities, especially as these are in isolated areas with no alternative parking options and no real alternative way of getting to them other than by car or bus”.

Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay Councillor, Dave Dempsey, who leads the Conservative Group on Fife Council added: “It was clear that, despite their obvious misgivings, all the SNP & Labour councillors had been instructed from on high to ignore public opinion and plough on with the process for introducing charges.

"At a time when we’re exhorting constituents to take part in Edinburgh Airport’s consultation of flight paths, it’s particularly ironic for councillors to ignore the Council’s own consultation. We should pay tribute to those members of the public who took the time to reply instead of consigning their responses to the waste bin.”

Transportation's Phil Clarke told the committee that the council incurred costs of £170,000 a year to run the Park and Ride facilities and ways of reducing this needed to be made.

The £1 charge per car would raise upwards of £130,000 per annum councillors were told.

This persuaded them to back the proposed charge.