COUNCILLORS and residents are outraged following the proposal to introduce parking charges at the Weavers Croft mental health unit in Stroud.

Parking for employees at the 2gether NHS Foundation Trust centre has always been free.

However, this could change after discussions were held about implementing a £5 charge per day.

Nurses and other employees have already expressed their discontent at the possibility of paying to park but now residents who live nearby are wading in on the argument.

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, and lives in Lower Street, believes the parking costs will have a detrimental effect on street parking.

“The houses around Stroud General Hospital have no parking,” they said.

“If the charges are introduced everyone will park on residential streets and we will have to park miles away from our homes.

“I can’t blame the people who work their because I would do the same and park on the street if it was free.”

Stroud town councillor for Trinity Ward Steve Dechan believes the proposal to introduce parking charges is unacceptable.

“Weavers Croft is a superb facility with brilliant dedicated staff,” said Cllr Dechan.

“It is very much part of our community and any changes the board of 2gether NHS Gloucestershire wish to make to staff parking not only affects the staff but the immediate community.

“They have laid a huge carpark extension and it’s not right that the staff should pay for it.

“2gether NHS operate across the county and each facility is quite different, to apply one rule across them all is a lazy option.”

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for the NHS Trust said that parking should be fair amongst all employees.

“We employ 2,400 staff who work from a large number of sites” he said.

“Some access free parking where they work. Others work at sites owned by other organisations who charge for parking and others pay to park privately.

“We have been discussing options to make parking fairer across the Trust, and we circulated a survey late last year so that we could collect staff views to help our review of the options available to us.

“We are now collating the findings so that it can be fully into account by our board.”