A discussion on controversial parking tariffs in Sudbury, Hadleigh and Lavenham will not take place this month as meetings are cancelled ahead of the election. 

Babergh District Council plans, which were drawn up after the council announced it could no longer subsidise free parking as it faces a £6.7million budget gap, were given the green light on April 8. 

The following day a group of councillors submitted a call-in request, which can take place when a councillor believes a decision has been taken in a way contrary to council principles, and the decision went before the overview and scrutiny committee on April 22. 

The committee voted unanimously to refer the matter back to cabinet for further discussion, but it did not appear on the agenda for the May meeting. 

Now, because the country has entered a pre-election period ahead of the general election on July 4, June's cabinet meeting will no longer go ahead.

A Babergh District Council spokesperson confirmed any business which was due to be discussed will be postponed to a future meeting. 

While the date that the parking tariff plans will return to cabinet has not been disclosed, there is a meeting on July 16 and August 6, according to the calendar. 

During the overview and scrutiny committee meeting on April 22, cllr Simon Dowling for Hadleigh called for a "full, fair and balanced" reconsideration of the option to allow one hour free in all Babergh car parks.

Babergh District Council maintained that this option would cost up to £262K in lost income per year, which they said would make it impossible to deliver the aims of the parking strategy.

The proposal includes the introduction of a £1 charge for short stay parking for the first hour or £1 for the first two hours in long stay parking, with tariffs then rising in 50p increments, as well as a reduction in the cost of all day parking in Sudbury and Hadleigh from £3 to £2.50.