DRIVERS could be forced to shell out a little bit more for spaces in the town centre’s car parks if new charges are approved next week.

Hourly rates at The Avenue, High Street, Braccan Walk and Weather Way car parks would go up from October 1 if changes are given the go-ahead.

READ MORE: Here's how much the council is set to lose in car parking income

This means a one-hour stay at any of the four sites would take the charge from £1.50 to £1.60.

A two-hour stay would see no change in cost, but prices increase incrementally for stays longer than two hours.

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The new rate for the night charge would be £1.70, up 10p from its current fare.

These proposals are considered annually by the council’s town centre committee and increases were agreed last year, too.

Should the committee say yes to the proposals, the new charges would generate an estimated £50,000 for the council.

READ MORE: Car park fee increases at The Look Out and Coral Reef

This could rise to around £80,000 if shoppers return to the town centre at the same rate they did before the coronavirus pandemic.

However, this comes against a ‘worst-case scenario’ in which the council could lose around £2 million in income by March 2021 due to low car-park usage throughout lockdown.

A decision on whether to increase car parking charges at the town centre sites is set to be made at a council meeting on Monday, September 7.