TRADERS fear shoppers and visitors will be driven away from Weymouth by a massive increase in Parking charges – some of which could be going up by as much as 75 per cent.

In a major overhaul of charges, free spaces could be taken away and car parking charges in many town centre car parks are rising from 40p to 70p for half an hour and from 80p to £1.30 for an hour.

Free spaces may be lost at the harbour, Bowleaze Cove and at the Pavilion, and prices for permits and scratch cards will rise.

The proposals by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council penalise those who want to park nearer the shops while drivers who park on the edges of town will be rewarded with cheaper parking.

The move is designed to keep queues down in the town centre while also raising much-needed revenue for the council to the tune of £250,000.

The council is facing a £700,000 shortfall in its budget this year and must also find £200,000 to spend on maintenance and repairs.

Council chiefs say radical steps are being taken because a residents’ survey last year indicated that reducing traffic congestion was the priority issue.

It drew a 52 per cent vote from a total of 1,426 respondents in the Place Survey which means it is a view supported by just over one per cent of the borough’s population.

Drivers who normally pay 80p for an hour’s parking in a town centre car park such as Governors Lane or Park Street will have to fork out £1.30 for the convenience of being nearer shops.

If they use the Swannery however the charge will come down from £1.30 for an hour to 80p.

On-street parking charges also look set to rise under the new regime.

The council has also revealed how it has been working with the local access group and created an additional 81 wide spaces in off-street car parks over the last 12 months.

Business owners who have faced a difficult trading period fear higher parking charges will discourage people from coming into town.

They believe prices should at least stay the same as they are.

Owner of the Fantastic Sausage Factory Denis Spurr said: “I just wonder how many people in the council offices are living in the real world.

“Do they really think people will do all their shopping and then walk or get a bus to the car parks out of town?

“Penalising people for parking in the centre will encourage them to use the supermarkets even more where you can park for free.”

Mr Spurr questioned whether the town centre had a major congestion problem.

He added: “I appreciate we have to pay for parking but we also have to create a good shopping experience for people and right now that’s not happening.

“Everyone needs to get together and discuss the way ahead for this town before we start struggling big time.”

President of the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce Nigel Reed said the proposals were just a way of raising income for the council.

He added: “I don’t think it’s been proven that congestion will be reduced. People who can afford it will continue to park in the town centre while others will drive round and round until they find a cheaper place.

“If you really want to stop the turnover of traffic in town close the roads and pedestrianise the town centre.”

Mr Reed said of the loss of free parking at Custom House Quay: “It’s one of those small pleasures in life. Please don’t let bureacracy take that away.”

Chairman of the Weymouth Hotel and Guesthouse Leaseholders Association Dave Price said: “These new charging proposals come as no surprise. It’s an easy way of making money.

“Pay and display is already expensive in the town.”

Landlady of the Sailors Return on the harbourside Helen Clements said: “Are they trying to drive people out of town completely?”

She added: “I think people who pay council tax in the borough should be able to have cheaper parking.

“And I don’t agree there’s a congestion problem in town. I think a lot of it is to do with the layout of the town.”

The council vigorously defended the proposals for car park charges which it says will go to the management committee for consideration.

Spokesman for transport and infrastructure Christine James said: “The Local Transport Plan has a number of policies to improve local transport and ease congestion which is an important issue for residents.

“Managing the supply and price of car parking is just one of the tools we can use to reduce congestion in our town centre.”

And finance and assets spokesman Peter Chapman said the move to ‘convenience charging’ would make a significant contribution to meeting the £700,000 shortfall while also reducing the level of traffic congestion in the town centre.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has raked in more than £7.6million in car parking charges over the past two and a half years.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the council’s most lucrative car parks and how much they generate for the authority.

Income for pay and display car parks goes into maintaining sites with any surplus going into the council’s general fund, while on-street charges fund the scheme’s starting up fees and transport-related issues.

Car parking income including on-street parking was £2.8million in 2007/08 and it dropped to £2.7million in 2008/09 which the council blames on a poor summer.

The income received so far up to the end of October this year is £2.1million which suggests it could be a better year.

Car parks which make the most money include the Swannery, Melcombe Regis, Pavilion and Lodmoor.

The Esplanade generates the most income from on-street spaces.

Borough council spokesman for Transport and Infrastructure Christine James said car parking income is needed to pay for services and to keep the council tax down.

Reducing the fees would mean the council would have to get the money from somewhere else to maintain levels of service.

She said charging for car parks means there is a flow of traffic around the town – making them free would merely clog up the car parks.

Councillor James invited people to the council chamber to see how budget decisions are reached.

The Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce believes the council should invest more in car parking infrastructure to make it easier for shoppers – RingGo parking or pay on exit facilities, for example.

Chamber president Nigel Reed said it was a ‘losing battle’ to argue against rising charges but he said at least there should be extra investment in the town centre.

Ian Denley who runs Shakies in Bond Street with wife Janet said rising parking charges were ‘another nail in the coffin.’ He said it had been a difficult summer with customers spending less and he is facing a huge increase in business rates.

Mr Denley said visitors get put off by high charges on The Esplanade and he suggested signs are put on ticket machines to inform them of cheaper parking elsewhere.

Paul Compton of White Motor Boats said: “Parking is a bone of contention for visitors. One of the biggest gripes I hear is that they can’t pay when they leave which means they have to judge how long they want.”