CAERPHILLY council will not introduce parking charges at its railway park and ride sites for at least a year, the authority revealed yesterday.

The council had been due to introduce a charge of £1.50 a day from April at stations including Newbridge, Risca, Pontymister and Pengam, but the executive committee said it had decided to delay the charges for at least 12 months after a "better-than-expected" financial settlement from the Assembly Government.

The authority also received almost 100 objections to the new charges, which were designed to help Caerphilly make around an estimated £36 million in savings, but cabinet member for corporate finance, procurement and sustainability Cllr Colin Mann said councillors had listened to those objections and would not be introducing the charges until 2012 at the earliest.

Although Caerphilly council's financial settlement from the Assembly Government for the next financial year is 1.7 per cent down on what they received for 2010/2011 - falling from £255.1million to £250.8million - cabinet member for transport Cllr Rob Gough said this was better than expected, and the authority had already managed to make £12.5 million worth of savings in this financial year thanks to the management skills of its officers.

Cllr Gough said: "That has enabled us to take another look at the proposed park and ride charges and deter their introduction. We do not want to place extra burdens on our residents in these difficult times."

Council leader Lindsay Whittle said the authority had listened to the objections of residents in the county borough, and hoped the move would also encourage more people to use public transport.

Cllr Whittle added: "It will also ease any potential congestion in adjacent streets as a result of commuters trying to avoid charges."