DULVERTON has won a reprieve in its fight to retain local management of the town's three public car parks.

The town council has run the West Somerset Council-owned facilities for a number of years, claiming the bulk of the revenue under a unique arrangement in the district.

But with the prospect of a countywide civil parking enforcement in the offing, the district council gave notice that the arrangement would cease at the end of this month.

The move prompted a furious reaction in Dulverton and resulted in a 750-signature petition against it being handed in to the district last September.

However, with a delay in the delivery of the civil parking enforcement scheme - likely to be a partnership between Somerset County Council and all fiveof the county's district councils - the district council has extended Dulverton's agreement for a further year.

The authority's cabinet approved a new lease at a meeting on Wednesday, which will give the district council an additional income of £5,500 as the costs of business rates for the three car parks will in future be paid by the town council.

The town will continue to pay an annual rental of just over £20,000 for the facilities, plus a further £1,500 for the maintenance of the car park ticket machines.

And for the first time, parking permits bought from the district council will be valid in Dulverton car parks.

The town council will also take over the monitoring of coin boxes at the Lion Stables public toilets.

The district has also approved an increase in car park charges for the coming year.

The 70p tariff for the first hour will remain unchanged, with the cost of two hours' parking rising by ten pence to £1 and four hours by 20p to £2.

All day parking will increase by 50p to £3.50 and weekly parking permits by £3 to £15.

Six month parking permits will cost £40 and 12-month, £75.

Cabinet members were told that the new deal had been agreed between the two councils following negotiations that were "entirely amicable".