PLANS to increase car parking charges for Flintshire Council employees will not be reversed, a bosses at the authority have said.

A petition launched on Change.org called on the council to "stop the 300 per cent annual parking charge increase in October.

It explains: "Flintshire County Council are planning to increase the parking charge for the employee staff car parks from £1 per month to £4. That's a 300 per cent increase.

"This offsets the benefits of the recent (modest) pay rise negotiated between Flintshire and workforce unions (which in themselves were already overdue after years of 'pay freezes').

"And this is just the thin end of the wedge... If we don't raise our voice now, when will we? Next year when a further increase is identified? The year after that?

"Unite now and show our employer that we will not be taken advantage of.

"We are the cogs that make Flintshire County Council run. Without the cogs, the machine stops running.

"Make a stand. Refuse the increase."

The petition, started by Mitch Wynne, has so far received more than 80 signatures.

But Flintshire Council has stated it will not change its decision on the matter.

Steve Jones, chief officer for streetscene and transportation and Sharon Carney, senior manager for human resources at Flintshire Council, said: “The council has reviewed the staff car park charging arrangements which have been in place since 2016.

“The new charging level is intended to recover the full cost of providing and maintaining staff car parks.

"This is in line with the council’s income generation policy which includes all fees and charges and aims to recover the full cost of providing non-mandatory services, through the charges we make for them.

"In the case of the car parking service charges this needs to include the costs of business rates, grounds maintenance, lighting and cleaning costs for the facilities.

“The annual charge for staff parking permits in specified council car parks will be £48. This is still a low charge for parking which offers good value for the quality and location of the car parks.

"This increase will align the cost of council staff parking permits with costs to be implemented for employees in the private sector who work in town centre businesses.

“The council’s position has been fully explained to the trade unions and the member of staff who has raised the petition.

"Whilst we do not agree that an internal employment issue should be covered by a public petition, we fully support and respect a person’s right to free speech, if it is exercised appropriately.

"The council will not be reversing its decision."