LABOUR county councillors have called the decision to delay parking charges at Worcester Woods Country Park “a victory.”

Worcestershire County Council’s overview and scrutiny board voted unanimously to set up a task group to look again at introducing charges on Monday.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for communities, originally made the decision to introduce charges in November, but the charges were put on hold after Councillor Richard Udall ‘called-in’ the decision, following a petition against the idea attracted nearly 5,000 signatures.

And there is now a further delay as the task group has four weeks to look again at the decision, producing a report proposing changes or recommending the original decision is reconsidered entirely.

Cllr Udall posted a video on twitter after the meeting, saying: “For the first time in the history of scrutiny (at the council) Labour councillors have secured success in a call in request. We have secured a delay in any implementation.The decision was unanimous, meaning members from across the political spectrum agreed with me that the introduction of charges was wrong. We will seek an alternative, to see if any other mechanism can be used to raise the revenue.”

The board’s chairman Councillor Chris Bloore also tweeted: “In a victory for good governance all the groups who came to speak have won in their attempts to further pause the council’s decision to implement charges.”

And Worcester Parkrun wrote on social media: “The parking charges decision is going to be properly considered - let’s now help them get this right.”

The meeting saw more than 10 public speakers, including groups and businesses affected by the move, appeal for a rethink. But Cllr Hodson defended her decision, saying it was being introduced due to the authority’s financial situation, and stressed the charges - ranging from a proposed £1 for an hour to £7 for more than four hours - were not finalised.