THE cost of car parks run by Wychavon District Council will go up.

The hourly charges will be £1 – up from 70p – although the council has agreed to no more increases for four years.

A new half-hour charge of 50p will be introduced in short stay car parks after requests from residents and local businesses.

The decision to increase the charges was made despite traders presenting councillors with a 1,200-strong petition opposing the plans.

They believe higher charges may deter potential shoppers.

Councillors also agreed to look at the potential for introducing parent and child parking spaces in car parks and a drop-off/pick-up point outside Pershore Community Hospital.

The charges will produce an estimated annual income of £400,000. The first £200,000 will fund improvements to Wychavon car parks.

These may include new pay and display machines which accept debit or credit cards, payment systems with pre-paid smart cards, payment by phone, using solar power to run the machines, improving lighting in the car parks.

Councillor Bob Banks, responsible for Resources, said: “No one wants to increase parking charges, but we are faced with a 25 per cent, or £1.8 million, cut in our Government grant (over two years).

"We are not a service-cutting council, but if charges are not increased we would have to consider cuts to frontline services like street cleaning and maintaining our parks.”

He added the half hour charge would have a financial cost to the council but would help traders by relieving pressure on on-street spaces at busy times.

The changes were agreed at a meeting of the full council and will be introduced on October 1.