Plans to find alternative uses for some of Weymouth and Portland’s council-owned car parks have the backing of councillors.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s scrutiny and performance committee met to discuss a report which recommended finding other uses for some of the borough’s car parks and, in the meantime, not introducing charges for any of the 11 free ones.

The council says the borough’s 11 free car parks are not free, as they cost the taxpayer about £33,000 per year to maintain.

At a meeting in August, the borough council’s management committee threw out plans to impose charges at the car parks, with councillors saying ‘we need to be more imaginative’.

The decision came after hundreds of people signed a petition against moves to begin charging after the plans were published.

Councillors agreed that introducing charges was not in the interests of the community, having received many letters from concerned residents and community groups.

Groups representing Southill said that the introduction of charges would be detrimental to the operation of the two community centres, the church and the local shops.

Users of the Radipole Park Drive car parks, who play tennis, felt that the charges would be against the drive to create a healthy community.

Councillors were in agreement that the 11 free car parks should remain free of charge. WPBC spokesman for transport and infrastructure, Colin Huckle, said car park sites that could be earmarked for other uses include Overcombe, the Masonic and possibly Castletown.

A survey, carried out in September, revealed how much each car park was used. There was an average of just two cars parked at Overcombe, out of a total of 180 spaces.

Southill has 87 spaces and an average of between 17 and 19 cars parked there throughout the day.

The Masonic car park was the least used, with no cars parked there in the mornings, two in the afternoons and 10 in the evenings, out of a total 136 spaces.

Councillors were unanimously in support of the plans, and for the continuation of free car parks in the meantime.