DIRECTORS of a community-run sports centre have asked for new parking charges to be scrapped to prevent a "disaster" on match and training days.

Paul Flitney and Brian Nixon, both directors of the Ross-on-Wye Sports Centre community interest company (CIC), appealed to town councillors for the parking charges at Wilton Road car park to be adjusted.

When new parking charges came into effect on February 1 at Herefordshire Council car parks, Wilton Road car park changed from being free to £1 a day from 8am to 6pm.

Both the football club and cricket club train and play matches at the sports centre.

The centre does have its own car park but he said this is only small and members of the public are already using it. He said Wilton Road acts as an overflow car park on busy match and training days.

He said: "In two weeks time it is going to be a disaster down there. There will be too many cars and people not using the car park because of the charges.

"And during the day people will start to use our car park. It is a great community asset. We are there for football and cricket- it is great to see dog walkers there and we really don't want to close our car park off."

He said on Saturday and Sunday mornings they get 250/300 people down at the sports centre.

Mr Flitney said it would be better if the car park charges were until just 5.30pm during the week, to accommodate week night training, and that there were no charges at the weekend.

Cllr Richard Mayo said the parking review had just taken place but that Mr Flitney had made some good suggestions.