A COLCHESTER student feels he is being unfairly treated as he has to pay for parking while his counterparts in Braintree park for free.

Harry Triffitt studies Level 3 Professional Cookery at Colchester Institute’s Colchester campus in Sheepen Road.

However, he claims Colchester students are at a disadvantage as he spends almost £10 a week to park on campus, whereas Braintree campus students do not have to pay.

Harry, 18, said: “Why have one rule for one and not the other?

“Think of the students who pay thousands for their course alone, without including the £2.30 car park fee.

“Say we are at college 100 days out of the year - that is £230.

“Then think about if 1,000 students are paying that charge every day for those 100 days.”

Harry, who drives to the campus from Walton, has been paying for the car park for the past two months.

He added: “I have to pay every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

“I feel we shouldn’t pay for parking as having to pay for the petrol to get there and back is quite a bit. And with parking as well it makes it more expensive for students with low or no income.”

Colchester Institute said all staff, students and visitors at the Colchester campus are required to pay for parking as part of their commitment to the Colchester Travel Plan Club.

A Colchester Institute spokesperson added: “The daily charges support the cost of providing security for the car parks, as well on-going maintenance charges.

“The charges are kept as low as possible and these have not increased since last year.

“There are no plans to introduce parking charges at the Braintree campus, which is predominantly a 16-19-year-old campus of much smaller scale, and in a rural location.”