MOTORISTS visiting Launceston could soon have to pay to park their car in the evenings.

At last week’s Launceston Town Council meeting, Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston South Jade Farrington said the authority is undertaking its parking review, and that ‘they are looking at increasing charges everywhere’.

“They are trying to introduce across the board evening charging,” she said. Any changes brought in would affect the town’s Cornwall Council run car parks. The multi-storey car park on Westgate Street is run by the town council, and would not be affected by any changes brought in by the local authority.

Currently, it is free to park in Cornwall Council’s Launceston car parks after 4pm. Cllr Farrington added that if evening charges were brought in: “It would be a hit to little businesses in our economy.”

Cllr Farrington told town councillors: “Last year they [Cornwall Council] agreed to freeze [prices] after the big campaign we ran the year previous.

“This year they are wanting revenue. Unfortunately takings from Launceston’s car parks have fallen this year. They were hoping it would go up a little bit.

“They are looking at increasing charges everywhere. They are purely concerned about revenue.

“They are fortunately freezing season ticket permit prices. It’s the pay and display charges which are the problem.”

She said the £1 all day parking fee for parking on Saturdays in Cornwall Council run car parks will stay, describing its implementation as a ‘big success’. However, she said the £2 charge to park all day during the week in the Cattle Market car park could increase to £2.50, while charges for parking for a three-hour period in the authority’s other car parks could decrease.

Cllr Farrington said she and fellow Cornwall Cllr Gemma Massey have asked the authority to model keeping the car parks free after 6pm, as well as keeping the £2 weekday Cattle Market parking.

Town councillor Brian Keighley said he had paid a visit to the town centre on Saturday, December 17 — one of the Saturdays on which Launceston Town Council provided free all-day parking in the multi-storey.

Expressing his concern that evening charges could mean more people parking in the town centre streets, he said: “I saw eight cars parked in Westgate Street on Saturday morning. They will park in the streets when there is free parking in the town!”

Cllr Farrington said: “We pointed this out, people parking on double yellows, obstructed places, and all they are going to do is increase that. We did press that point.”