PARKING charges in Wyre Forest are set to rise, sparking traders' fears the move will drive shoppers away.

District council-run car parks will be hit by a six per cent increase when new charges come into force next month.

Long-stay motorists using Bewdley's Dog Lane and Load Street car parks and Raven Street in Stourport face the biggest charges, with a 30p hike to £4.30.

Head of leisure, culture and commercial services, Andrew Dickens, said the increase was the first for two years and was necessary to balance the books.

"The council neither makes a profit from car parking charges nor can it subsidise parking," he said.

"Expenses like rates, the cost of patrol officers and fuel have risen and this is just a bi-annual price review to keep the equation balanced."

Mr Dickens said short and medium-term parking charges would still be cheaper in Wyre Forest than in both neighbouring Bromsgrove and Worcester and that demand for parking across the district was high.

Kidderminster Town Centre Partnership chairman, Peter Picken, however, reported discontent from traders over the increase.

"We all appreciate it's getting tougher all the time for our retailers, with problems like competition from the internet and the choice that everyone has," he said.

"It's very difficult to see how market towns like Kidderminster are going to survive in the long term.

"It's accepted that charges in some other towns are higher than ours but that does not help our retailers, who are trying to do their best and would have preferred that, at this particular time, car parking charges were not increased."

The new charges, which come into effect on Saturday, October 1, will include 10p increases taking one-hour parking to 60p, two-hour parking to 80p and three-hour parking to £1.50 in council-run car parks.

Long-stay rates will increase by 20p or 30p to £3.20 or £4.30. A 12-month full season ticket will go up from £400 to £428.