NEW car parking charges came into force across South East Cornwall yesterday.

Generally prices have increased, though there are also some reductions.

Motorists driving into the centre of Liskeard will no longer be able to pay 40p for the first hour of parking. They now have to pay £1 for up to two hours. The 50p charge for one hour at the Riverbank in Looe is also being replaced by £1 for up to two hours.

However, motorists in Callington will now pay 20p for the first hour instead of 40p. In Saltash and Torpoint, the charge is staying at 40p for the first hour. At the Millpool in Looe, the charges for longer stays during the winter months are being reduced.

Cornwall Council said it has changed the charges across the county after consultation with the aim of meeting 'the issues people felt were most important for their towns and villages'.

Cllr Graeme Hicks, the council's portfolio holder for transportation and highways, said: 'It is hoped that the key tariffs will help to support the town centre economy. We are also working in partnership with others to develop further initiatives. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that parking provides an important income stream that helps to support services provided by the council.'

The council says the changes should bring in three per cent more parking income.

Here are some of the main changes, town by town:

Liskeard

Westbourne. The three-hour limit on parking is being removed with motorists being able to park all day for £5.70. The lowest charge is now £1 for two hours. The previous charges were 40p for the first hour and £1.80 for one to two hours. All the car parks in Liskeard are free after 4pm.

Cattle Market. The lowest charge is now £1. All-day parking has gone up from £4.50 to £4.90.

Upper Sungirt. Up to two hours is £1 and two-to-three hours is £3.10.

Lower Sungirt. Up to two hours is £1 and all-day parking is £2.50. This replaces charges ranging from 40p to £4.50.

Rapsons. Car drivers will pay only one tariff at this car park – £2.50 for all day. This replaces charges ranging from 40p to £4.50.

Looe

Millpool. Charges are rising for parking in the spring, summer and autumn. One hour now costs 60p, up from 50p. One-to-two hours costs £2.10 and all-day parking is £5.20. Between November 1 and March 14, the charge for one hour will be 50p, while two hours drops to £1 and all-day parking is reduced to £2.

Riverbank. Up to one hour for 50p and two hours for £1.90 are being replaced by £1 for up to two hours.

Saltash

Alexandra Square. Up to one hour for 40p is retained. Others charges are rising, for example, four hours is now £4.

Belle Vue East, Belle Vue West and Culver Road. The 40p charge stays the same with other tariffs going up.

Torpoint

Antony Road and Tamar Street. Up to one hour for 40p is retained. Other charges are rising, with three hours now costing £3.

Callington

New Road North. Charges will now apply between 9am and 5pm, rather than 9am and 4pm. One hour will cost 20p instead of 40p. Other charges are rising with three hours costing £3.20.

New Road South. A 20p charge now applies for the first hour, down from 40p. Other charges are up, with four hours costing £4 and all-day parking up 90p to £4.90.

Fowey

Main car park. Up to two hours costs £2. A day session costs £5.60. Evening parking costs £2.10.

Caffa Mill. Up to one hour is £1.20 with two hours being £2.50.

Readymoney. Up to two hours is £2 with four hours being £4.20.

Many motorists were caught unawares when the new car parking charges kicked in.

In Westbourne car park in Liskeard, as well as being outraged by the minimum charge of £1 for two hours in place of the previous 40p for the first hour, people were also confused when their tickets showed they had paid £1 but only for an hour!

There were many complaints and one motorist, Karen Price from Higher Tremar, angrily said she would not be paying £1 just to spend five minutes buying a birthday card.

'I can't believe this, I'm going up to Morrisons instead where the parking is free,' she said.

Harry Hicks from Seaton said he was shocked at the price increase.

'I am a 76-year-old pensioner who just comes into Liskeard for less than an hour to do some shopping,' he said. 'I will have to think about finding somewhere else to go.'

Community carer Christina Hobbs said her elderly client would not be happy to be told that she would now have to pay £1 extra for her few bits of shopping.

'This is a disgrace,' she said.

Rose Wilton from Dobwalls said she just wanted to run across to the Post Office to pick up a parcel.

'A pound for five minutes is shocking, it was bad enough at 40p,' she said.

Dee Sargant from Common Moor said she didn't mind the 40p charge but thought £1 was over the top.

'They moan about people not coming into town, well this won't help,' she said.

June Wing from Rosecraddoc paid £3.10 for three hours up from £2.90. 'This is rubbish, Liskeard might as well shut up shop,' she said.

Traders have also had their say.

Andrew Beddoe, who has traded in Liskeard for 27 years as Beddoes fruit and vegetable shop, said: 'I can't believe that after all the pressure not to increase charges they have just gone ahead and done it.

'The council hasn't listened. Their own figures must show them how badly the footfall has dropped in the town centre.'

Andy Blackwell, of Blackies Barbers, who is still waiting for a reply from Cornwall Council to his 3,000-name petition for some free parking, said: 'This will lose me more business and I will have to seriously start thinking about whether or not to relocate to somewhere busier.'

Roy and Debbie Vass of Health and Happiness in Fore Street in a letter to the editor of the Cornish Times said: 'Once again Cornwall Council has not listened to the people of Liskeard.

'Instead of helping the shoppers and retailers of the town, they have increased the minimum charge by 150 per cent.'

Cornwall councillor for Liskeard Jan Powell said: 'I am disappointed that the reduction I requested of £1 for all day to bring Rapsons in line with the station was not accepted, nor the request to seek alternative solutions to fund free parking.

'On a more positive note I hope that the new tariff of two hours for £1 will encourage shoppers to leisurely browse in Liskeard and will go someway to show the council's support for traders.'

At Looe the charge of 50p for one hour has also changed to £1 for two hours in the Riverbank car park, and the charges are up at the main Millpool car park.

Cornwall councillor Edwina Hannaford said: 'We were told how much revenue had to be raised from the car parks when the Cabinet at County Hall set their budget, and there was very little scope to work with.

'The charges have gone up in the summer months to offset the winter months when they are reduced.

'We are a tourist town and we don't want to put off our visitors, but at the same time we have to look after our residents who also need to park.

'It is a difficult balancing act but hopefully the two hourly rate in the Riverbank car park will encourage shoppers to stay a bit longer in the town. I will be monitoring the feedback.'