More than 2,000 residents have put their names to a petition against planned car parking charges at country parks in the borough.
Under the proposals, visitors to the parks will be charged for car parking in a bid to raise an estimated £80,000 a year for the council.
The plans, currently under public notice, could result in charges at Parc Cwm Darran, Parc Penallta, Pen y Fan Pond, Sirhowy Valley Country Park and Park Coetir Bargoed.
A cost of £1 for two hours, £3 daily and £50 for the year will be charged seven days a week should the plans go ahead. Disabled badge holders will pay £1 for three hours.
The print and online petition, presented to the council by Plaid Cymru group leader Colin Mann, was organised by resident Lynne Hughes-Williams.
In a letter accompanying the petition, Mrs Hughes-Williams has called for a public meeting on the issue.
She said: “The strength of feeling against the proposed car parking charges is such that within two weeks of the petition being started over 2,000 signatures have been obtained.
“There are 17 pages of supporters’ comments on the proposed car parking charges and the impact that such charges would have.”
Caerphilly County Borough Council has previously defended the plans citing budget pressures because of UK Government cuts.
These charges will be enforced irrespective of local objections because they have nothing but contempt for the residents outside election time. They do this as people keep voting them back into office, so why shouldn’t they?
It is the arrogance which is breathtaking, these people must realise they are simply, `custodians` of civic business, they are there only because they are elected by the ratepayers, for a short time, to represent us, including those ratepayers who are currently opposing these plans.
Wait until they publish their plans to privatise some Council services, then the balloon will go up. The main problem with that plan is that we, the ratepayer, already PAY for those services, lets see if the Caerphilly council will reduce the Council tax bands accordingly when they hand these services over to private companies, who will want to make a profit of course, and, their charges will reflect that, so will we end up paying twice for the same service???????.