A SHAKE-UP of on-street parking across the county is on the cards.

The Echo can reveal that Dorset County Council plans to take back the running and management of on-street parking.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council (WPBC) currently looks after on-street parking in the borough on an agency basis for Dorset County Council.

The decision to end this agreement has sparked disagreement between WPBC and DCC, with WPBC councillors saying it will come at a cost to the taxpayer. It is understood 'urgent talks' are currently taking place.

However, WPBC has 'no option' but to agree.

It has been suggested that- due to the Mount Pleasant Park and Ride losing £13,500 a month as reported in the Echo- DCC wants to take back parking in a bid to counteract this.

It gave notice of its intention two years ago but now looks set to act on the plans.

County council's cabinet will discuss the plans week (June 3) but the documents relating to it are 'exempt' from public view.

However, in a report going before WPBC councillors the day before, officers say the move will have 'financial implications' which are yet to be 'fully determined.'

They add: 'DCC are the highway authority and have the power to terminate the agency agreement that has allowed Weymouth and Portland to operate the on street parking enforcement service. It should be noted that DCC has given the requisite 12 months notice of their intention and as such the council has no option but to agree to this [...] 'It should be noted that the decision to terminate the agency agreement has not been influenced in any way by this council's performance, as everyone agrees that this has been exemplary and has in the recent past created a small surplus.'

WPBC councillor Ian Bruce said: "We are quite clear in Weymouth and Portland that the county council taking the on-street parking back and administering it all on their own is a bad idea- bad for the county, bad for the borough council and generally bad for the tax payer."

He added: "We are taking a fresh look at this and I think the councillors at Weymouth and Portland are pretty well fully in agreement with what we are saying- we are taking all our councillors with us on this."

Cllr Bruce said one option could be that WPBC looks after parking across the county on behalf of DCC.

WPBC was unable to tell the Echo how much the agency agreement is worth a year. An answer is expected today.

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said they can not give any comment until cabinet meeting next Wednesday.