A PROPOSAL to impose a new charge for tag users on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry has been met with anger by councillors in South East Cornwall.

Saltash Town Council is writing to the bridge and ferry joint committee to object to the proposed 80p a month TamarTag account fee, which officials say is the best way to offset a forecast drop in income.

Saltash councillors Bob Austin, Joe Ellison and Derek Holley, who sit on the joint committee, said that they did not agree with a charge on tag accounts.

But their suggestion of a combination of other options to generate revenue was not taken up by the joint committee.

'There should be a small differential to show that the ferry costs more to run than the bridge – we are subsidising the ferry,' said cllr Holley, who felt that ferry users paying in cash should be the ones to bear any increase in tolls.

'We suggested an amalgamation of a small increase in the cash toll paid by ferry users, with an upfront fee for new tag accounts,' said cllr Holley.

But in a recent meeting of the joint committee, officials stated that a monthly tag account charge would address the committee's financial position 'with minimal impact on bridge and ferry users'.

Any increase in tolls would necessitate a 'lengthy and costly' public inquiry, it was said, whereas the introduction of a monthly tag account fee would be comparatively straightforward.

Meanwhile in a submission to the joint committee, Looe councillor Armand Toms said that residents in Looe were not happy with the proposals which would lead to higher costs for workers and businesses.

The public consultation on the proposed monthly charge has ended and a report is due to be made public before December 6.