Two councillors have withdrawn a proposal to review parking charges for SUV drivers.

Councillors Steve McRobb and Ramsay Ross presented an idea to increase parking fees for SUVs to Rutland County Council at a meeting on Thursday (July 9), but withdrew the proposal before it went to vote, following "reasonable" misgivings from other councillors.

Their motion outlined detrimental impacts of large vehicles driving through Rutland towns, highlighting the damage inflicted on roads by heavier cars, the increased risk of danger imposed by SUVs with high front ends, and diminishing space for on-street parking.

However, several councillors expressed their scepticism at the proposal, given Rutland's agricultural economy for which SUVs have practical advantages.

"This proposal is unfair, discriminatory and completely out of touch with the realities of rural life," Cllr Kiloran Heckels said in a statement read out by Cllr Giles Clifton.

"It would once again penalise rural families – the very people we should be supporting. Our residents rely on larger vehicles because they are easier and safer to access, and this council should not be in the business of telling people what they should drive."

"The motion picks up on the fact SUVs are heavier. I'm not against electric cars, but they are 20 to 30 per cent heavier than their petrol or diesel counterparts," Cllr Lucy Stephenson added. "They will also cause the roads to degrade faster.

"Lots of us live in villages, and having a vehicle that can deal with adverse weather conditions like flooding is important. You're asking us to be penalised because of where we live."

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"People won't change their car, they'll just end up paying more," Cllr Andrew Dinsmore said. "People can't afford to change their cars. The result of this will simply be the penalisation of people during a cost of living crisis."

Cllr McRobb accepted "there may well be other solutions to this problem", but affirmed he was only seeking a review of the charges, not a proposal for the charges themselves. He also admitted he was not aware that a review into parking policy was already underway.

Cllr McRobb withdrew the proposal with consent from Cllr Ross, "on the understanding that having raised these issues for public debate, they will be incorporated into the review already taking place".