BUSINESS owners fear visitors will stop coming to Weymouth if the council enacts its 'retrograde' plans to increase parking charges.

Dorset Council has revealed plans to increase prices for car parks and on-street parking in a bid to standardise costs, which currently span from free to £9 all day.

A new three tier pricing structure is being proposed which would see car parks in the level three tier, including car parks serving Weymouth Beach and on Portland, increase to £10 a day during the peak season - April 1 to October 31 - from a current average price of £7.41.

Hotel owners have hit out against the plans which they fear will put guests off from returning to Weymouth and lead to bad reviews for their establishments.

Steve Dorman, owner of the Alexandra Hotel, said: "It's a short-term, retrograde step for the council to take in a bid to make some money, but which will ultimately take cash out of other businesses when tourists cannot afford that extra ice cream or that extra drink because parking costs so much.

"I think it will stop people coming to Weymouth. Everyone needs to be careful with money, especially in the wake of the pandemic, and that additional £2 a day might be the tipping point for some guests where they decide they will go somewhere else more affordable."

Co-owner of The Chatsworth Hotel, Dave Taylor, said: "This could drive people out of town. The council need to make concessions for people who are staying overnight. For those guests that stay for 10 days, the car parking adds an extra £100 to their holiday which is too much to ask.

"It also has a negative impact on everyone's reviews. A disgruntled guest might put a review online about us because the parking was so expensive and, even though it is nothing to do with the accommodation, it can have a bad impact on us and it's not our fault."

Prices in level two area car parks, which the council have categorised as shopping car parks in areas including Dorchester, Blandford and Sherborne, will see prices rise to a maximum of £6 a day - a £3.20 price increase in some places.

Councillor Matthew Hall, who represents Sherborne West, says that for Sherborne the new fees would see all-day payments more than double.

He said: "The proposals for charging in Sherborne is very disappointing to say the least. In a small town we already have issues with on street parking during the working week so to propose an increase from £2.80 to £6 for all day will potentially make the situation worse.

"The high streets are struggling because of the pandemic, so to increase parking charges could seriously affect the number of shoppers while increasing the use of online alternatives."