COUNCIL chiefs have increased the cost of car-parking in a North Yorkshire town by 20 per cent.

The rise, which covers long and short-stay pay-and-display facilities, will be the first in three years and could lead to Selby District Council receiving an extra £60,000 through income from motorists.

But it has been criticised by Selby Chamber of Trade, which said the increases run the risk of encouraging shoppers to go elsewhere.

The council’s executive approved the new fees last week. They will see parking in the Portholme Road and Back Micklegate car parks rise from £4.50 to £5.40 and the price of a 12-month permit increase by £156.

Drivers leaving their cars for three hours or more will have to pay £3 for their stay, a rise of 50p, with short-stay parking for up to an hour at sites such as Selby Park, Abbey Leisure Centre, South Parade and Market Cross rising by 10p. Stays of more than three hours at these sites will cost 20p more.

However, the council said parking in Selby was still “excellent value” compared with other nearby towns and cities, including York, and that it had previously pegged charges to help the local economy battle the recession.

“Charges have not increased for three years, during which time the cost of operating the car parks has risen by about 15 per cent,” said executive member Coun Chris Metcalfe.

“That has been a deliberate attempt to support local businesses during the worst of the recession. We’re not talking about huge increases here and the reality is that charges for parking in Selby will remain some of the lowest in the region.

“Our approach to increase use of car parks has worked with a knock-on effect for our businesses, a record that I ‘m proud of.”

Details of the new charges are to be advertised in local media and at the car parks, while the facilities in Sherburn-in-Elmet and Tadcaster will remain free to use.

When the proposals were announced, Selby Chamber of Trade’s chairman David Fieldsend described parking in the town as “a nightmare” and said raising charges would drive shoppers towards out-of-town retail centres with free parking.