MORE than 1,600 people have signed a petition opposing contentious plans to introduce parking fees at the Hamworthy Park.

Lake Residents Association chairman Mary Parsons joined Pat Bullock, chairman of Friends of Hamworthy Park, to hand in the petition at Poole Civic Centre yesterday.

The lengthy document called for the council to specifically throw out its plans to introduce parking charges at the park.

Mrs Parsons, who also handed in a memory stick containing 600 comments supporting the petition, told the Daily Echo: “We strongly object to parking charges at the park.

“Lake Residents Association territory borders the park and people are very concerned about the issue because a lot of them are beach hut owners. A lot of them are regular park users.

“With Hamworthy Park the proposals are for limited parking of four hours and this will cause huge problems as well.

“Families from this whole area use the park and they object to having to pay and they object to a limit of four hours.”

Representatives of Poole Harbour Canoe Club also handed in a separate 1,200-signature petition opposing plans to introduce pay and display at nearby Lake Pier car park.

The 500-member canoe club, which is a charity run by volunteers, is set to open a new £200, 000 boathouse in June. The building was made possible with grants from Canoe England and Sports England.

Club trustee Mark Taylor said the club could experience difficulties if members were forced to pay for parking.

Borough of Poole (BOP) is currently consulting on a range of parking charge issues, including the introduction of new pay and display car parking charges at five of its parks.

The other parks where parking charges could be introduced are Newfoundland Drive Skateboard Park, Rockley Park (Ham Common) and Whitecliff Park.

BOP democratic services manager Pauline Gill said: “Two petitions of over a 1,000 have been presented to the council for its meeting on 26 April 2016.”