Shadow cabinet member for community services Alex Wallace said: “We have always had free parking but this is being used to make up shortfalls in council’s budget.

“Free parking was to encourage usage and to prevent drivers parking in residential streets. They’d be monitored from day 1 and a report would come back after the two years.

“It will now be free for a period and a report to be brought park on costs at a station in the county.

“This is so disappointing. We should be making all car parks to be free to encourage people to travel by public transport and help meet our carbon free and climate change targets.”