Car parks see 20% price rise

Charges at council car parks are to rise by 20 per cent in Walsall in a bid to generate an extra £123,000 per year for the cash-strapped authority.

The increase means that the charge for an hour's parking in the town will rise from 60p to 70p and the all day charge will go up from £3 to £3.60.

Walsall Council has defended the move, which is the first rise in four years, and say the council's car parks remain far cheaper than others in the borough.

The new charges could come into force before the start of the next financial year on April 1 to help address the council's impending budget crisis. Bosses have conceded a number of tough decisions need to be made.

There are 500 short stay pay and display council spaces and more than 900 long stay spaces in Walsall.

Across the borough's district centres there are also 2,000 free spaces.

Walsall worker Laurie Richards, aged 22, said over the course of a year she will be forced to fork out a lot of extra money.

She said: "The rise does not seem that much on a daily basis but when you start to work it out per week and per year it is actually quite a lot.

"I work in the town centre so I have to park somewhere and its looks like I will have no choice but to pay what the council is asking for."

Councillor Rachel Walker, cabinet member for Street Pride, said: "This would be the first increase for four years, but the council's charges will still be far cheaper than private car parks in Walsall.

"We would look to keep any increase as low as we can, but even with the proposed increase Walsall will be in line with other council run car parks in the West Midlands."

In other moves the council plans to raise the yearly charge for residents' parking permits from £10 to £20 generating an extra £4,500.

By Emma Tate