Parking prices in Bracknell Town centre could increase again from October despite previously being hiked in the past two years.

Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) leaders are set to review plans to raise prices in car parks owned by the authority, including The Avenue, Braccan Walk, and Weather Way, by 10p to 40p.

While the rate to stay for up to an hour would remain at £2, it could rise to £3.60 for two hours, £4.60 for three hours, and £5.30 for three hours. A further 30p increase would apply for stays between six and eight hours and stays over eight hours would rise by 40p to £11.80.

The price to park at Bracknell and Wokingham College could also go up from £2.50 to £3.

Bracknell Forest Council says that this plan could make the authority up to £111,000 a year. It comes as BFC recently projected a £3.5 million overspend for the next financial year.

If approved by the councils’ executive committee, changes would come into force on October 1.

The report says: “At these rates, with the exception of Carnival Pool in Wokingham the first hour in Bracknell Forest’s car parks would remain cheaper than all other neighbours current pricing.”

It further adds that ‘current budget circumstances’ faced by the authority mean that maintaining current charges for council-owned sites are not recommended.

Prices would have to be increased even more next year if no action was taken now, according to the report. This would result in prices that ‘may be considered negatively by the customer’.

There are no proposed changes to a lost ticket charge, currently priced at £12, and night charges would also increase by 10p.

The latest proposed price hike comes as costs were already upped by the council in 2022 and 2023. Before October 2022, it cost only £1.60 to stay for up to an hour in council-owned car parks.

In 2022, charges in the same car parks were raised ‘reluctantly’ to ‘manage, maintain and enhance’ the sites in light of rising inflation.

Similar reasons were cited when a decision was made to further increase prices in 2023.

BFC councillor Paul Bidwell said that the rise was necessary due to higher costs and a fall in income for the authority.

At the time, councillor Gareth Barnard raised fears that it would put people off shopping in the Lexicon.

Council officers have recommended the executive to approve the plans, which will be decided at a meeting on Tuesday, September 17.