A DISCOUNTED parking permit for parents doing the school run is back on the cards.

Maldon District Council provided free parking twice a day in its car parks to parents of pupils at St Francis Primary, Maldon Court Preparatory School and Watership Downs Nursery School.

The council has now told parents it is withdrawing the free permits as it falls outside its new ‘user pays’ policy.

The change was due to come into effect from May 1 with parents told they could continue to park if they paid the £580 annual permit charge.

Council officers put forward a proposal to create a new £200 permit exclusively for parents, but councillors on the community services committee rejected the suggestion last month. The proposal for a permit was then put to the finance and corporate services committee, which was in favour.

Free parking for parents has been extended until July while the council comes up with a proposal for the parking permit.

Parents and headteachers had spoken out against the plans to axe the free parking.

Richard Holmes, director of customers and community, said: “Members have supported the principle of a parking permit scheme for parents of children attending Maldon schools and a proposal will be prepared in consultation with Members of the Community Services Committee.

“This proposal would then be brought to the July meeting of the Council for consideration.

“Whilst the proposal is being developed, the current informal arrangements for free use of the council’s car parks by parents to drop off and pick up school children be extended to end July 2017 with a view of the new scheme starting from the September term.”