A TRIO of mayors will take to the streets at the weekend to try to force a rethink over car parking charges.

Leaders at the district council have given the green light for charges to be brought in for the first time.

The mayors of Cinderford, Coleford and Lydney have vowed to try to change the plans which will mean motorists paying between 40p and £2.

Max Coborn (Cinderford), Bill Osborne (Lydney) and Sue Merrikin (Coleford) will be taking their petition to the streets of all three towns on Saturday.

Former mayor David Blick will be taking the petition out in Newent as the four try to get the 800 names needed to trigger a debate at full council.

The council scrutiny committee has also called in the decision made by cabinet last week but it can only make recommendations.

A major row is brewing over the move which is designed to raise at least £212,000 a year for council coffers.

The charges will be imposed in nine council car parks in Coleford, Lydney, Cinderford, Newent, Mitcheldean and Redbrook in July 2012.

Council leaders say they cannot bow to pressure to allow the first hour free because that is when they will make most of the money needed to cover the costs of the scheme.

Coleford and Cinderford say the charges will kill their town centres and are totally against them.

Lydney Town Council has agreed to support the petition, but some councillors favour long stay charges.

Newent is the most divided and on Monday some members of the town council challenged Mayor Len Lawton over why he was not working with the other three mayors.

Coun Lawton, who also sits as a Conservative district councillor, angrily denied accusations that he was putting party politics above the needs of Newent and said he would not be "bullied or shoved".

He told members he could not make a decision on behalf of Newent until the town council had met to decide its position.

"Our problems are not the same as Coleford, Lydney or Cinderford," he said. "They do not have the problem of car parks being full of people sharing lifts into Gloucester."

Roger Beard successfully suggested that Newent back long stay charges as long as there is a free period for short visits.

Mr Lawton said: "I will support this proposal as long as it will not cause me to break my manifesto pledge to freeze the rates for the next four years."

Coleford's Sue Merrikin is urging people to sign the petition to try and force a U-turn.

She said: "By imposing car parking charges at a time when the financial climate is worse now then it was when this was last discussed and rejected due to the then poor economic conditions throughout the area and the UK as a whole seems to be an illogical step."

l The Forester supports the mayors' stand against car parking fees. Copies of the petition as well as car stickers are available at The Forester office 43 High Street, Cinderford.