A RESIDENTS Parking Zone pilot will go ahead in Kingsdown after Bristol City Council approved the scheme, despite objections.

From early next year, 1,500 people living in the area will have to pay for the right to park, £30 a year for one car, £80 on top of that for a second and a further £200 for a third.

The £589,000 pilot scheme was approved by the council's ruling Liberal Democrat cabinet at a meeting last night, in the face of hundreds of objections from the public.

Of the 154 public statements submitted to the meeting, 129 were against, 24 were in favour and one called for deferral pending an inquiry.

Of the 1,037 responses received during the statutory consultation in May, 995 were against and 42 were in support.

Public consultation in January showed 203 of those who responded were in support and 200 were against.

When the public consultation zone included an area north of Cotham Road, the overall majority were against but that section has now been removed.

Around 40 members of the public attended the meeting to hear the debate.

In his public statement resident Matt Henkes said: "In three years living in the area I have never once had a problem finding a place to park on the road, either directly outside my house or at least in the very close vicinity.

"The railroading and underhanded way that Bristol City Council have conducted all consultation around this project would be laughable if it wasn't so offensive and potentially expensive for my neighbours and I."

Another resident statement, by Jim Pimpernell, said: "It will make Kingsdown a safe and pleasant place for its residents and visitors and not a commuter car park. It is also an essential component in addressing the bigger issue of the chronic road congestion in the city."

Cabinet members felt the majority of people in Kingsdown wanted the zone and stressed it would be reviewed and potentially changed after the first six months.

Cabot ward councillor Mark Wright said: "Since I've been a councillor, parking issues have been the number one issue in my inbox.

"The majority of objections do not come from Kingsdown, they come from outside the zone.

"This is commuters defending their rights to park in central streets in Bristol.

"I am convinced that when this scheme is in we will look back and say 'it didn't turn out too bad and my gosh didn't we make it difficult'."

The zone is expected to come into force in the new year and will operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.