A FIERCE objection has been made to proposals to increase charges at two Clevedon car parks.

North Somerset Council wants to increase parking charges at The Hawthorns in Elton Road and the Salthouse Fields, much to the dismay of Clevedon town councillors.

Charges for a four-hour stay at both sites during a new peak period of March 2 to October 31 would rise from �3 to �4, with an all-day stay rising to �6. In off-peak months, charges for an all-day stay would rise from �3 to �4.

A consultation on the proposals will run until January 30.

Members of Clevedon Town Council’s transport and highways committee voted on January 11 to object to the plans. However, they did welcome a proposed increase in the length of the off-peak period.

With North Somerset Council looking to make unprecedented levels of savings, raising car parking charges across the district is seen as an important way of bringing in extra money.

However, North Somerset and Clevedon town councillor David Shopland said: “Car parks should only have charges that reflect the cost of their maintenance. They should not be a profit-making concern.”