parking in Liskeard will cost £1 all day every Saturday until the end of August from tomorrow.

Cornwall Council has agreed the £1 fee for seven consecutive Saturdays, based on the figures from the fortnightly concession days which have been running in conjunction with the Cornish produce market on The Parade.

Former mayor Tony Powell said the £1 fee every Saturday was sought by the previous town council prior to the May election. 'It was obvious that on market days, even at £1 all day, revenues were exceeding normal Saturdays,' he said. 'A decision was deferred until after the election and I am pleased it has now been taken up. I also hope the former council's proposal for free parking spaces is pursued with the same determination by our county councillors.'

Sally Hawken, Cornwall councillor for Liskeard East, said: 'I had a meeting at county hall on Friday to look at the car parking data for Liskeard, to understand what options were plausible. I asked for a trial £1 every Saturday and was delighted my request was acted on so quickly. The town council has indicated parking is one of its provisional priorities for the year. At Liskeard Show many people agreed it should be high on the list for discussion and there will is a council consultation on parking coming up,' she added.

Chairman of Liskeard Traders' Association Ian Stevenson said the initiative was welcomed at Tuesday's meeting. 'We were very happy at this news,' he said, 'but it still doesn't help our local businesses during the week. Cornwall Council does not operate a level playing field. Liskeard's parking charges are high for a struggling market town, in comparison with some other towns in the county.'