By Jenni DixonCONCERNS have been voiced over a plan to introduce car parking charges in Southwold.Waveney District Council has reviewed its car parking policy in the seaside town and in Halesworth and has published a set of proposals.

By Jenni Dixon

CONCERNS have been voiced over a plan to introduce car parking charges in Southwold.

Waveney District Council has reviewed its car parking policy in the seaside town and in Halesworth and has published a set of proposals.

It recommended single charges for Southwold's pier and harbour quay east car parks should be introduced for all day, overnight and Sunday parking from November 1 and March 31, 8am to 6pm.

Drivers would also have to pay a one-off fee for using the car parks for up to two, four, or more than four hours and overnight stays between April 1 and October 31.

Half-an-hour on-street parking spaces in the south-west of Field Stile Road would be extended to an hour, while spaces on the south and east side of Bartholomew Green would change from a two-hour limited wait to half-an-hour.

Unrestricted spaces in Lorne Road south and Queen Street west would become half-hour parking places.

Six spaces at the Market Place would change from a maximum period of one hour of waiting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 8am and 5pm to a half-hour stay between 8am and 6pm.

However, Stephan Cornell, chairman of the Southwold and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said: "Obviously we wouldn't be particularly in favour of anything that puts more pressure on people because in the winter time trade is difficult enough anyway."

Under the district council's proposals, on-street parking in Market Place in Halesworth would be changed from two hours to one hour, while half-an-hour waiting in north-west Chediston Street and north-west London Road would be changed to one hour and two hours respectively.

Parking at the post office would be changed from a free long stay park to a pay and display for half-hour periods up to two hours if it is surfaced – if not, a maximum of two hours free parking would be allowed.

The car park at Station Road would become a long stay residents' car park. The changes will be recommended to Waveney District Council's executive on November 11.

jenni.dixon@eadt.co.uk