Parking charges are set to be brought in at a popular beauty spot.
Staffordshire County Council is planning to introduce the £1 two-hour charge at Froghall Wharf, Froghall, near Cheadle.
But the proposal has sparked anger among community leaders who fear motorists will now park on narrow roads and businesses will lose out on trade.
Froghall Wharf attracts thousands of visitors every year.
In a letter to Ipstones Parish Council, county council countryside manager Emma Beamon said: "We are looking at sustainability measures to help us continue to manage our countrysides in the future.
“One of these measures is to introduce car parking charges at a number of our sites. This has proved successful in the south of the county so we are therefore expanding the process across the northern sites.”
The council wants to install a parking meter at the site and also plans to resurface the car park. But moves to increase the size of the car park are not possible.
The letter continued: “It is recognised that there is already a parking issue on the road to Froghall and I have asked our highways team to monitor the situation. It will continue to be monitored after the parking meter is installed to ensure that any dispersal of vehicles does not cause a traffic hazard.”
The parish council has branded the plan 'disgusting'.
Parish council chairman Linda Malyon said: “We should strongly object. It could damage businesses in the area."
Councillor Heather James added: “People come to the area for long walks. This will push traffic onto the road."
The county council is set to consult about its parking charge plan.
Councillor Gill Heath, cabinet member for communities, said: “We continually need to invest in the county council’s extensive countryside estate to maintain the country parks, greenways and picnic areas as one of the jewels in Staffordshire’s crown.
“If implemented following any consultation, the proposal will contribute towards meeting the £2.1 million annual running cost of the countryside service.”
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