Cyngor Gwynedd has approved changes to its parking fees and structures meaning increasing costs for some users.

The cabinet has agreed that short stay car park enforcement hours should be extended from 10am to 4.30pm to 9am to 5pm, a move which could bring in £78,000.

It has also approved adjustments to Band 2 of the Long Stay Fee Structure, with the aim of raising a further £160,000.

The changes mean short stay car park enforcement hours will change from 10am to 4.30pm to 9am to 5pm, whilst the £1.40 two hour rate in long stays has been removed and the four hour fee goes up from £2.80 to £3.50.

The council estimates the changes will net an extra £238,000 for its coffers.

Some community councils had raised concerns, including Criccieth Town Council, which had opposed changes to the long stay fee structure citing “many locals and visitors using car parks for walks and an increase in the number of people parking on the street or not visiting at all”.

The changes were agreed by the Cabinet, on 10 February, when it also approved implementation of a new Off Street Parking Order.

The changes had formed part of a fuller package approved last year, aimed at establishing a total £1,095,000.

Schemes, already in operation since last April, included raising fees at Pen y Gwryd, to raise £40,000, increases to the annual and local car park pass by £5 per annum £17,000 and higher fees for all environment car parks, raising the council £800,000.

With the changes, it had been designed to meet an annual income target of around £2.9 million, which a report said “.. continues to increase annually in line with inflation, and significantly reduces the pressure on the council’s budget”.

Changes, to the short-stay car park enforcement arrangements had followed an Environment Department review.

It noted that a reduction of enforcement hours introduced in 2021 – from 9am to 5pm to the current 10am to 4:30pm – had resulted in” a significant loss of income”.

It had been estimated that the council was losing £78,000, on Band 1 and 2 short-stay car parks.

The council had also reviewed the Band 2 long-stay car park fee structure following a number of complaints.

Cabinet Members approved extending the enforcement hours in short-stay car parks to 9am to 5pm, and and adjusting the band 2 long-stay fee structure”.

Cllr Huw Wyn Jones asked how parking in Gwynedd compared to other areas.

Assistant Head of Environment – Transport Gerwyn Jones said it was difficult to do a “like for like comparison due to different structures”.

However, he said “one of the pieces of feedback when we go out and stand by these parking payment meters, the feedback we get from visitors is that they are surprised that it is so cheap compared to the parking fees where they live.

“So, I think we have struck a balance between providing parking for local needs, but also generating income.”