POOLE residents are to challenge the council's new parking charge policy in the courts.

Last week members of the Sandbanks Parking Group - a loose association of 12 residents' associations, businesses and individuals - met and resolved to seek legal advice for challenging the borough's decision.

The Daily Echo can reveal that on Tuesday group representatives met with a barrister with expertise in public law to discuss launching a judicial review.

Earlier this year thousands of people objected to the plans to introduce parking fees in parks and seaside roads.

The scheme was shelved in June, but then scaled down and approved by councillors earlier this month.

Bob Lister, chairman of Poole Beach Huts Association - part of the group - said: "We had a packed meeting at the North Haven Yacht Club to discuss legal action.

"Everyone voted unanimously to seek a barrister's opinion on holding a judicial review.

"We need to move quickly as Borough of Poole is hoping to install meters by March."

The group claims the council has admitted introducing the charges as a revenue-raising exercise, and that this is against government regulations.

Also, the group claims the council has ignored a decision by its Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier this year, which called for the plans to be abandoned.

On December 12, the borough's standards committee investigated whether scrutiny committee chairman Cllr Andy Garner-Watts had breached the council's code of conduct in the manner in which he reported the panel's recommendations to cabinet.

The standards committee concluded that he had not done so. Tim Martin, the council's head of legal services, said in a report: "There is no evidence of bad faith or dishonesty in the proceedings that took place at cabinet."

Regarding the review, Mr Martin said to the Echo: "We are aware of the suggestion that a judicial review may be sought regarding the implementation of new parking charges.

"At this stage no grounds for challenge have been communicated to the council, and we are confident that due process was followed."

The new charges, set to start in March, cover on-street parking in Canford Cliffs Chine, Branksome Chine and the Sandbanks peninsula, as well as car parks for Hamworthy Park, Lake Pier, Newfoundland Drive, Ham Common and Whitecliff Park.

The proposed tariff for the parks is free parking for up to 30 minutes, £1 for up to two hours and £2 for up to 10 hours, with the option of an annual permit.

The scheme was approved at a packed meeting on December 6, which council leader Janet Walton threatened to adjourn due to heckling from the public.