County-wide parking charge increase from April

Parking charges and permits in a county's city and towns are to increase next month.

Durham County Council leaders approved the increase in Durham by 30p per hour for off-street parking and 15p per hour for on-street parking in council-run car parks.

In Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street and Seaham, charges will increase by 10p per hour in all on and off-street car parks operated by the council.

The price of parking permits will also increase by 4p per permit, per day, which councillor Tim McGuinness previously defending as a "modest increase" with it being "the first increase in permit charges since 2015".

The council said its city centre parking charges were competitive compared to private sector operators in Durham and other areas around the North East.

Council officials said the increases were in line with the costs of running the facilities and pointed to "numerous free parking options a short distance from the pay and display areas".

The hike in costs of permits is estimated to generate an additional £400,000 for the local authority, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

First introduced in 2007, the council charges for permits for residents, their visitors and construction vehicles within controlled parking areas or zones.

McGuinness, previously said the decision "took into account various increases in costs and the down trend in income collected, it has become necessary to pass this on at a modest increase".

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