Bristol City Council has explained why parking meters at a beauty spot have been covered up.
Park users spotted earlier this week that the parking meters at Blaise Castle had been covered by what looks like a steel box.
And Bristol City Council has now said these have been covered up while not in use.
READ MORE: Parking charges to be brought in at Bristol beauty spots despite no existing car parks
The spokesperson said: "There’s no date yet set for when charging will begin."
Back in September, Bristol Live reported that Bristol City Council had put plans in place to install pay and display machines at the main Blaise Castle car park off Kings Weston Road, as well as in car parks at Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills.
The parking meters have now been installed at those locations but they are still not in operation, with park users saying they feel "penalised" by the charges.
Residents of a small lane leading up to one of Bristol's beauty spots are also fuming about the introduction of car parking charges.
Several River View residents - which leads up to Snuff Mills - are angry about the plans and said they have written to the council in objection.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said last year that his administration was doing "everything we can to make sure we avoid charges”.
At the time he said: “No one wants to come in and start introducing parking charges in parks unless there is a really dire financial need and that’s what we face."
The council has said the funds raised will help manage parking and enable maintenance and improvements in Bristol’s green spaces.
The news comes as a top councillor said plans to introduce car parking fees at Bristol’s parks were likely to be scaled back to exclude smaller beauty spots.
As previously reported, the local authority wants to start charging drivers at more green spaces under its annual budget proposals to help plug a £19.5million shortfall.
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