A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Halesowen into controversial plans to introduce new parking charges on council-run car parks.

Resident Phil Rose has organised the meeting at Benjamin’s on Birmingham Street in Halesowen tomorrow (Wednesday, September 11), at 6 pm.

Charges across Dudley borough, starting at £1.20 for an hour, will come into force in October and are expected to raise around £3.5m for the cash-strapped council.

Phil is encouraging as many people as possible to come along to have their say on the unpopular plan and has collated more than 2,000 names on a petition.

The construction worker, who used to run Frankie's cafe in Shell Corner, decided to take action against the introduction of parking charges because he believes it is wrong.

He said: "The impact on the town will be astronomical, a lot of traders are independent and hanging on by their fingertips, this will be another nail in the coffin.”

Phil has invited local councillors and local MPs.

The petition against the charges on change.org has already gathered more than 2,000 signatures opposing the first phase of the authority’s new parking strategy.