A COUNCILLOR has reacted with anger at proposals to increase on-street parking across the county.

Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet will be meeting next Wednesday, December 19, to consider plans to bring on street parking charges in line with the cost of district council and privately operated off street car parks.

The report also proposes a £10 per year increase to residents parking permits, bringing the cost for the first permit to £60, with a £20 increase to the cost of permits for second cars.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson (leader of Gloucestershire Lib Dems) said: “The increased cost of residents’ parking permits is a poor Christmas present from the Conservatives.

“An increase of 20 per cent, nearly 10 times the rate of inflation, are wholly unjustified at a time when all families are feeling the pinch.

“Residents’ permits were welcomed by many in the county, however cost increases were not part of the bargain, with families now having to fork out nearly £200 just to park their cars.

“This is yet another clear example of how Conservative austerity in Westminster is directly hitting Gloucestershire’s residents.”

The proposals do not affect any car parks in town’s, which are managed by Cotswold District Council.

The plans also include the “pay per minute” model which the council believes will allow for more flexibility for short stay on street parkers and will be introduced mainly in Gloucester and Cheltenham where demand for parking spaces is higher.

Cllr David Norman, the cabinet member responsible for parking said: “The charges in many of our town and city centre parking bays have not increased in more than ten years and our business and resident permit costs have been frozen since 2011 – despite increasing enforcement costs and more demand for on street parking spaces.”

He added: “Any money we make from parking, funds our parking service costs, with any extra going to other improvements in traffic management, road improvements, subsidised buses and concessionary transport, that help reduce the pressure on the roads”.

If approved the charges will come into effect from April 2019.