A BREWERY wants to charge for use of its Bentham car park - despite the town council contributing to recent upgrading works in the belief the land would be available for local people.

The Black Bull car park, next to the Town Hall, is owned by Daniel Thwaites brewery and had fallen into a state of disrepair. Although officially private land for the use of pub customers, it had been more widely used by people visiting the town hall and shops.

Bentham Town Council offered to pay 40 per cent of the cost of resurfacing the site, believing local people would then have a right to use the car park. Although nothing was put in writing, the deal was described as a "gentlemen's agreement" by councillors.

However, Thwaites now intends to charge motorists 50p an hour to leave their vehicles, hoping the fees would stop pub customers being edged out by general parking.

Chris Wright, the brewery's property manager, said: "It is a private car park. It has been used by members of the public, local traders and the town council. The car park deteriorated into a poor state of repair until, with the co-operation of the town council, repair works were carried out.

"Parking is primarily for the patrons of the public house. On certain days when the car park is full, trade has suffered as customers cannot park and are taking their custom elsewhere."

He outlined a system where the charge was levied on everyone, but the money was fully refundable to pub customers. He also said the brewery would make six spaces available to the town council free of charge and would honour existing agreements with local traders.

But Mayor of Bentham Jean West said: "We did a lot of liaising with the brewery and we agreed to contribute because we thought it would be beneficial for Bentham. I feel so sad about this."

Councillors called for a meeting between the council, the brewery and the Black Bull lessee.

Coun Thomas Marshall said: "We should contact the parties concerned, have an in-depth discussion and thrash it out."

And Coun Tim Stannard added: "We are due to pay 40 per cent of doing up the Black Bull car park and my feelings are that we were paying 40 per cent towards a town communal car park. I think we should say thank you very much but we are not paying into it now."

Coun John Pilkington also questioned whether the auditor would allow the council to pay its share of the car park works if the owner planned to charge parishioners to use it.