UNIONS and council officers have come under fire for delays to a planned daily park and ride scheme in Dorchester.

Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council and West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust had originally joined forces to run the park and ride scheme, which would involve workers parking at the Avenue Stadium in Weymouth Avenue.

However, the hospital trust, which runs Dorset County Hospital, pulled out of the scheme saying it did not meet its specific parking needs, leaving the two councils to run the scheme alone and they set a start date of November 1 last year.

But that initial start date was delayed while the county council negotiated with staff on how it would work after they raised concerns about the proposals.

A new date was set for February 1, but that too was pushed back while negotiations continued, bus drivers were recruited and bus shelters put up.

Now members of Dorset County Council's audit and scrutiny have criticised officers for the handling of the scheme after calling the matter to account at a behind closed doors meeting last month.

In minutes of the meeting, just published, members of the committee concluded that: 'It would have been helpful if in the early stages of the proposals the firm commitment of the hospital and the formal position of the trade unions had been established in writing.' They said: 'It would also have been helpful if a clear indication had been given at the outset, of the timescale envisaged for the introduction of the scheme.' Members of the audit scrutiny reached the conclusions after hearing from representatives from unions The GMB and Unison and council officers including director of corporate resources Elaine Taylor.

Mrs Taylor said that staff's dissatisfaction with parking arrangements at county hall had long been established and forthcoming changes including reduction in on-street parking availability and an increase in car park charges was only going to make the situation worse.

The committee, which is chaired by county councillor for Dorchester, Coun Trevor Jones, went on to conclude: 'The delay in the introduction of the scheme had been regrettable but had not resulted in serious consequences'. The report added that the park and ride scheme itself should be viewed as an experiment. The council's cabinet was asked to note the conclusions.

The Monday to Friday park and ride scheme is now scheduled to start on April 16.