INCREASED parking charges and less money than expected for winter road repairs will pay for the budget deal struck by Labour councillors.

Season ticket parking charges are to go up by four per cent, while on-street car parking, short stay and standard car parking will be 10p an hour more expensive for anyone without regular user discounts.

The increases will all help boost council income by an estimated £72,000, and pay for proposals made by the Green Party and agreed to by the ruling Labour group to get crucial votes for their wider budget plans.

But opposition councillors have warned the deals may not be as promising as they appear.

Lib Dem Councillor Keith Aspden said that there is no guarantee the New Homes Bonus – a Government fund being used to pay for a future for Yearsley Pool – will exist after this year especially as the national Labour Party has committed to scrapping it, while the free bus service will run for only six months before the council will have to decide if it’s worth the £300,000 a year cost.

He added: “The council set a one-year budget covering 2015/16.

Under the Community Stadium project, Yearsley’s funding is not due to be withdrawn until 2016/17. Decisions on that budget will not be taken until after May’s local elections.”

At the budget meeting on Thursday, the Greens bargained for a reversal of cuts to apprenticeships, library services, road safety and lollipop ladies, as well as an extra £35,000 for the design and conservation department at the council, and £100,000 for children’s centres.

They also secured a six month trial of a free city centre bus service for York station and hospital – along the lines of services run in Huddersfield and Bradford.

Green leader Cllr Andy D’Agorne said transport was a key issue and the bus service was a solution that had proved successful elsewhere.

Contingency funds will also be reduced to pay for some of the deal, while the winter maintenance funds to look after the roads in harsh weather will not get the full £280,000 increase it was promised under Labour’s initial plans.

A council spokesman said staff had begun looking at ways to run the bus service, but said it was too early to predict when it might be up and running.