A MINIMUM two-hour park ing charge at the Woodmead Halls in Lyme Regis has resulted in an increase of £27,000 on last year's parking revenue for Lyme Regis town council. But some councillors are still keen to abolish the controversial two-hour charge, introduced in April this year, because they say it stops visitors using the Woodmead Halls for short term activities such as Slimming World and farmers' markets. Councillors discussed their car parking policy at last week's town council meeting. In a report town clerk Mike Lewis said the Woodmead car park was intended as a long-stay car park for use mainly by visi tors rather than residents, and the two-hour banded charging system reflected that. He said: "A 60 per cent increase in revenue since inception of the scheme, up until the end of July indicates that visitors to the town are familiar with a banding sys tem for non-town centre loca tions and are willing to pay the charges levied." He said that looking ahead to the start of the coastal protection scheme next year, the council would lose money on the golf and seafront concessions and there fore the change to the basis of charging at Woodmead was time ly if the council was not to be dis advantaged. But Coun Stan Williams, who runs the Woodmead Halls, said he didn't believe the two-hour banding brought in any more money. He said: "Holidaymakers in the busy spell will happily pay, but when the holiday period is over that car park is empty. "The machine is a nonsense and it's doing the name of this council no good." Mr Lewis said the council's rev enue from the car park had increased by £27,000 since the new banding was introduced. But Coun Williams said: "I see no evidence of that anywhere. Slimming World runs for two- and-a-half hours - nobody is going to pay for four hours. "All the people I talk to are totally opposed to it. We have to divorce the two sets of people using the car park." Coun Ken Dibben said he thought the 60 per cent increase in revenue was impressive. He said: "I have a great deal of sympathy with Stan, but our prime concern is the finance of this council. I don't think we can go back until we see the affect on a whole year. Let's see what the maths tells us." Coun Michaela Ellis said the councillor would never know how many customers had been lost because of the charges. Coun Daryl Turner suggested the car park be split into two - one long stay and one short stay. Coun Ken Meech said the coun cil could give everyone free park ing if it wanted, but it was a case of putting up the council tax pre cept. Councillors will make decisions about the car parking policy at budget talks in November.