Drivers face having to pay to park in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead.

Charges are proposed for the three towns, with North Somerset Council saying it will be 'fairer' given there are fees in Weston.

The council says the fees will mean a greater turnover of spaces to encourage more shoppers to visit the three towns.

In Clevedon, charges are planned during the day at the Marson Road car park and the two off Great Western Road. It will cost motorists 50p per hour for the first two hours and £2 for three hours; day tickets will be available for £3.

Station Road and Clevedon Road car parks in Nailsea will also see charges introduced.

Portishead's Roath Road will become a pay and display car park too, with fees the same as in Clevedon.

On-street fees are also planned for The Triangle, Hill Road, Elton Road and The Beach in Clevedon, plus streets in Nailsea and Portishead town centres during the day.

Cllr Mark Canniford said: "The plan we have come up with is the first step in achieving our aim to manage parking in the best and fairest way.

"We have come up with a solution that brings consistency to charges across our area and makes sure residents and visitors have access to parking spaces in our towns.

"We have to make sure the changes we make will not cost the council money, so we are not able to do everything we would like straightaway."

The proposals are subject to consultation and the council says they could take 18 months to be implemented.

The authority would have to approve the addition of £685,000 to the council's capital programme, funded from unsupported borrowing, to fund the introduction of on-street and off-street parking controls and charges.

The authority expects it will make an income of £610,000 in the first year of implementation.

Earlier this year, the council agreed to introduce permits for homeowners in Leigh Woods.

The authority will use it as a trial before seeing if similar schemes can be introduced elsewhere.

Parking charges at Nailsea & Backwell Railway Station are also set to increase from April.

A week's pass would rise to £12 from £10 and a day ticket by 10p to £2.50.

Hourly tickets would also increase, as will six-month and one-year permits.