DORSET Council is to appoint an officer to lead its parking policies.

The strategic parking project officer role will pay up to £37,000 a year and be based at its Charminster depot.

The council had been working on a new parking policy for the area which was expected to see charges harmonised in three basic bands.

The highest of these charge bands would be beach and attraction car parks, followed by market towns and then villages and more rural locations.

At the moment the council has suspended all car parking charges and seaside car parks remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to that happening the council had said it expected to bring forward a new parking policy by the late spring/early summer and would be consulting on the proposed changes.

Car park fees are of the few sources of income the council has, apart from council tax charges, but those charges have also been a bone of contention. Weymouth councillors have long complained that charges at car parks in the former borough area go into council coffers in Dorchester while the town council has to charge local people through its share of the council tax to provide services for visitors, without any help from car park fees.

In Dorchester there is simply not enough parking for the thousands of workers who commute into the town to work, clogging up residential streets as they find places to park all day without paying fees.

A job advert for the strategic parking officer post from Dorset Council says: “The role within the Parking Services Team will be to develop strategic level parking-related projected and policies across the Dorset Council area whilst supporting key Council and Highways priorities. The post has been created to facilitate and lead on parking projects and initiatives whilst recognising increasing pressures on climate change, air quality and public health.

“The work will include engaging and linking with the emerging Local Plan and Local Transport Plan development, car parking policies and key local partners including the largest employers in the area.

“There will be a requirement to lead and develop Parking Policies of the Dorset Council.”

The job advert’ also says it would be an advantage to have a “relevant qualification in parking or other relevant subject, or significant knowledge of the parking industry.”