A LECTURER today criticised newly introduced parking charges at Suffolk College, claiming they account for more than two per cent of his salary.James Gill, of Butley, claims the £1-a-day toll levied on car park users is "outrageous" and said he has no alternative but to drive into work.

A LECTURER today criticised newly introduced parking charges at Suffolk College, claiming they account for more than two per cent of his salary.

James Gill, of Butley, claims the £1-a-day toll levied on car park users is "outrageous" and said he has no alternative but to drive into work.

"For those of us who work part-time, but need to come in several days a week, the expense is particularly onerous, he said.

"In my own case, 2.2 per cent of my monthly take home pay goes straight back to the college in parking fees. For those of us who have no alternative, we're simply being charged by our employers for going to work."

He added the charges had caused widespread discontent among the people he has spoken to about the issue.

The charges were introduced at the beginning of the current term and the college argues it is part of a greener outlook.

In the past, students had been charged 50p a day to park on the site, off Rope Walk.

Sarah Meelan, director of human resources, said: "We were finding a lot of people were wanting to park in the college but we want people to think about alternative ways of travelling."

She added the move was introduced with one eye on a possible move in the future.

"One of the things Ipswich Borough Council will interested in when they consider requests for a particular site is how well we manage our current site and our green policies, she said.

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