Controversial new car parking charges for Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham will go before Babergh District Council's cabinet today. 

The council looks set to reject a suggestion from the overview and scrutiny committee for the inclusion of a one-hour free parking period as a report claims this would drain council reserves by £644,000 over three years.

Plans to introduce charges were drawn up after the council announced it could no longer subsidise free parking as it faces a £6.7million budget gap and were given the green light on April 8. 

The following day councillor Simon Dowling, for Hadleigh North, submitted a call-in request on the decision, co-signed by a cross-party group, and it went before the overview and scrutiny committee for debate on April 22.

During the meeting, Mr Dowling called for a "full, fair and balanced" reconsideration of the option to allow one hour free in all Babergh car parks. 

A report before today's cabinet meeting recommends the one-hour free option is not implemented because it is "unaffordable".

Deputy council leader Cllr John Ward, cabinet member for finance, assets, and investments, said: "We’ve sought extensive feedback, thoroughly considered every option, and acted on every recommendation made in the last six months – including further exploring the option of one-hour free parking.

"We have fully debated and scrutinised this issue. However, after this huge amount of work, the recommendation to cabinet remains that we introduce modest, short-term charges - and do not implement one-hour free parking, as we cannot afford to."

In the plans the cost of a season ticket would be frozen at £250 and all-day parking will be reduced from £3 to £2.50.

There are no plans to introduce charges for parking on Sundays or Bank Holidays, and Blue Badge holders would continue to be allowed to park for free for up to three hours in all council car parks.

Independent Hadleigh councillor Kathryn Grandon, who has been one of the leaders of the campaign against the car park charges, said many businesses in the town centre would be very concerned.

"We have a lot of independent businesses in Hadleigh and they rely on people using the town centre," she said.

"I'm a member of the overview and scrutiny committee and we proposed the one-hour free parking to help local businesses. This proposal is really bad news for businesses in Hadleigh and Sudbury."

Babergh District Council's cabinet will meet at 2.30pm today to discuss the plans.