AS Lib Dem district councillors prepared to do battle this week with the Tories over Sunday car parking charges, a Petersfield Conservative district councillor has come out in favour of reducing Sunday car parking charges in the town.

On Wednesday, as The Herald went to press, Lib Dems Sam Payne and Adam Carew were expected to present a petition of more than 2,000 signatures against Sunday charging in its car parks in the town to a full meeting of EHDC.

A similar number of Alton residents had also protested against the charges in their town.

But the Tory East Hampshire district councillor for St Peter's Ward in Petersfield crossed party lines on the issue on Wednesday and declared that a small charge only for Sunday car parking in Petersfield "would make more sense".

Hilary Ayer said: "We said we would look into the parking situation after a year, but I must admit I do have concerns and it affects my ward more than any with its Victorian houses and no off-road parking.

"I hadn't realised what an impact it would have on the residential streets around Petersfield and I am very much against Sunday charges being the same as the rest of the week.

"I believe a reasonably low flat rate charge for the whole day would make more sense."

Mrs Ayer said she had received a number of letters from people about the issue but understood the reasons behind the charges imposed in an effort to keep council tax from rising.

"Our costs have gone up with providing free bus passes for the over-60s and having to negotiate with bus companies over costs and car parking and free transport tend to all be in the same bucket as transport – it's not just car parking that is involved," said Mrs Ayer.

"I am not happy with the parking charge on Sundays. We should charge for two hours to encourage people to park in the car parks rather on residential streets," continued Mrs Ayer.

And she sympathised with people who found themselves unable to park outside their homes on Sundays because their spaces were being taken up by shoppers not prepared to pay for parking in EHDC car parks, among them the Central car park in Winton Road, Tesco in The Causeway, and the Festival Hall car park in Heath Road.

The political row has rumbled on for months and Mr Carew, one of the two Lib Dems hoping for a U-turn on parking charges, said: "Collectively, we have almost 4,000 signatures from East Hampshire residents and traders in Petersfield and Alton against EHDC's ludicrous policy.

"Nothing less than a U-turn this week will do. If Conservative-run EHDC ignore East Hampshire residents again they will prove once and for all that they are totally out of touch with the very people they were elected to serve."

Ken Moon, East Hampshire district councillor for Clanfield and Finchdean, was less forthcoming over the parking debate on Wednesday, saying: "I think I will reserve comment until after the meeting. We have been gathering information and observations."

He would not be drawn on the number of people who had written or contact EHDC over Sunday parking charges but confirmed that it would be considered at the end of the year ready for next year's budget.