People in West Wirral have made their thoughts clear over council plans to introduce car parking charges at the borough’s country parks – and they are overwhelmingly against the idea.

Online petitions against the controversial proposals have already attracted more than 5,000 signatures.

Our reporters went to Royden Park in Frankby to gauge people’s views….

Mina Guratsky, chairwoman of Friends of Royden Park and volunteer at The Barking Mad Café, told the Globe: “Here we have pensioners come a social place where they’re safe, we have autistic groups handicapped, families that don’t have money – that’s why we’re so cheap. That is what we’re here for, for those people.

“We do the food very cheap. We do a bacon bap for a pound, a cup of coffee 65p so when you come in here you get pensioners who come in here and get a bacon bap and cut it in half because they haven’t got the money. Are they going to come if they put parking charges up? No. You know there’s going to be nowhere for these people to go we’re pretty angry about it.

Wirral Globe:

“I’ve known all about this since the last time they tried it. “ We got all petitions going out from Tuesday – we’ve got an online petition but they don’t stop and think what parks are about. Parks were developed for the people who worked in industry a hundred or more years ago they’re here as a health centre. They’re going on about obesity where do you go? Can you afford to go to the gym? Can anybody afford to go to the gym? Every conceivable part of it is wrong.

“Everybody is the same. Children come in, toys, children’s library in there it’s all free and they want to charge whatever those idiots are talking about. At the end of the day they’re talking about earning money, infrastructure – who’s paying for the parking meters where’s the money coming from, who’s going to maintain the park who’s going to check that you’ve put your money in the parking meter.

“They’re talking to you like an idiot but I’ve been there and done that time and time again. Last time we got them to change direction so hopefully this time may be the same but who knows.”

Wirral Globe:

Sandra, Jenny and Mina from The Barking Mad Cafe

Peter Colebourn from Oxton said: “They won’t encourage people to get out there.

“You could tell something was going to happen not so long ago when they did works to the carpark and turned it into a proper carpark and what they’ve done now is lose half the car parking spaces it’s terrible.

“We’re regulars at Roydon Park, Storeton woods and Eastham, we’d rather take our dogs walking here for nice long walks. Not only with dogs but with grandchildren, they love to run and climb trees.

“You pay enough for car park fees don’t you – The cheapest carpark in Wirral is the one at the Pyramid’s where you park £2 a day that’s good value. The car park charges aren’t consistent in the borough, if you go to Heswall you pay £1.25 for an hour. If you go to the one on Dee lane, it’s 20p there’s nothing consistent.

“I wouldn’t mind paying a pound to park, if you knew the revenue was going into parks and gardens.

“I knew something was going to happen when they put double yellow lines all down the front. I mean this is lovely, we come here in all weathers so it’s just a shame. Anyone will tell you that it is just wrong – the next thing they do they will put charges on Birkenhead Park.

"People won’t come if they’re going to have to pay. They say they’ve got no money but they’re spending £600,000 on a survey for a golf course which may never be built – where’s that money come from?”

Wirral Globe:

Paul Lightfoot, from Heswall said: “It's absolutely disgusting. Why should we have to pay for parking in the areas where country parks are. It’s not fair that the public are being used to create more money for Wirral’s greedy council.

“It’s not on and we did not sign up for this when we voted for this current council.”

Michael Sheppard from Saughall Massie said: “I didn’t know about the charges until you’ve just told me – I’m a keen photographer and I like using the park for my hobby, I can’t quite believe that this is happening to go from nothing to £4 per-day. It’s a real shame and will definitely be upsetting to people who use the parks not just for hobbies but for exercise and days out.”

Sadie Reynolds from Wallasey said: “The idea that we’re having to fork out more money for the council’s pockets is unbelievable. I come here to take my dogs for a walk and it’s now going to cost me a load of money to enjoy this.

“You know times are hard and I don’t work anymore it’s just ridiculous and unpractical for me to pay for parking. I just don’t understand where the council expects us to go.”

Wirral Globe:

Royden Park car park

Norma Henderson from Moreton said: "If the council want to encourage people to get fit by activities such as walking then what is this going to do now having people to pay for it.

"Walking is the only thing some people can do, not everyone can get to a gym and it's unfair penalising people who come here to do that by making them pay.

"I come here almost every day and I know people who come twice a day, it will now be too expensive for them to do that.

"We've been to Delamere Forest once and haven't gone back because it’s too expensive to park.

"People won't want to pay for the car park so they'll park around the area. It will trap houses in the likes of Sandy Lane, there are no lines and everyone will go there.

"It will deter people from walking here, making the forest less safe, because of less people. I come here as I know I am safe and coming here all the time means I know fellow dog walkers. If I didn’t and this place was more deserted then I would be scared for my safety as you just don’t know what could happen.”