Car park ticket prices in Powys are expensive compared to neighbouring local authorities, a meeting has heard, as councillors received a long awaited final report on the county’s car parking review.

Powys County Council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on 12 June heard the recommendations of the report which proposes reintroducing the one-hour parking tariff to all long stay car parks; set tariffs for up to one hour parking to £1.50; up to two hours parking to £2.50; up to four hours parking to £3.50; and all-day parking to cost £5.

Car parking fees were increased as part of the 2023/2024 budget but the move has been sternly opposed ever since which led to a working group being set up in the autumn of 2023 to review the fees.

Opposition councillors have wanted to reduce the fees in a bid to get people to start using car parks again so that they visit businesses and shop in the town centres.

Cllr Corinna Kenyon-Wade said that it’s cheaper to park in Herefordshire and Shropshire, and the “comparison in the report is Ceredigion, which is a touristy area.”

She said the proposal “feels slightly expensive”

Chief officer for place, Matt Perry said: “We have looked at lots of other authorities and what we found is that they have different tiers and structures of tariffs.

“One of the things from the workshops is that equity across Powys was wanted.”

Cabinet member for highways, transport, and recycling Cllr Jackie Charlton told councillors that other councils were also now hiking up their car parking charges.

“They might feel slightly dearer in some places, but you will start to see those prices increase elsewhere,” she said.

Recommendations will be added to the report which is expected to go before the Cabinet later this summer.