FREE parking will come to an end this July after councillors voted for a zero increase in council tax instead.

Conservative leaders won the support of the chamber after agreeing to last minute changes that would see the parking charges for the first hour reduced from 40p to 20p.

During a stormy debate Labour councillors claimed people would prefer to see the council tax increased by 9p per household per week rather than pay for parking.

As both sides battled for the votes of the independent councillors who hold the balance of power, the Conservatives claimed councillors had a duty to freeze the budget when voters were facing a squeeze on family finances.

Tory leaders claimed the last minute reduction in charges to 20p for the first hour or 50p for the first two hours was down to the result of a public consultation that ended on the day of the meeting.

Labour claimed it was a political move to try and win the support of their critics in the council chamber who were considering voting against them.

Although most independents voted with the Conservatives, the changes were not enough to win over Independent councillors Ian Whitburn of Mitcheldean, Maria Edey of Coalway and Clive Elsemore of Coleford who opposed the introduction of charges.

But support from the trio was not enough to stop Labour's alternative budget being beaten by 20 votes to 28 as most independents voted with the Conservatives.

Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucestershire Police Authority have also agreed to freeze their budgets next year.

But householders will still have to pay an extra £4.86 a year, 0.32 percent, because towns and parishes across the district have put up their precepts by an average of nine percent.

The average Band D taxpayer can expect their bills to go up from £1,504.88 to £1,509.74.