Notices have gone up in Dorset Council car parks advising drivers of changes to parking charges from April 1.

Changes to Dorchester car parks include charging being extended to Sundays.

Drivers using car parks in West Bay and Lyme Regis will pay between 50p for an hour to £8 all day between April 1 to October 31 and £6 all day from November 1 to March 31.

For workers who use these car parks, long stay parking permits are available on the Dorset Council website. A 12 month permit costs from £230.

The original recommendation to extend all evening charges to 8pm was withdrawn following concerns from many town and parish councils.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council's portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: "I feel that these changes strike a balance between supporting our town centres and high streets, as well as ensuring charging is fair and can sustain our car parks across the county.

"The standardisation of car park charging times across the council area will provide residents and visitors with a seamless transition from town to town, knowing exactly when they will need to pay at one of our car parks.

"We're continuing our work to make car park charging more comparable across the council area, which will include in depth discussions with town and parish councils and local accessibility groups. This includes exploring the idea of a council-wide shoppers permit."

Dorset Council has offered town councils six free parking days in its car parks each year. This is made up of Small Business Saturday in December, one weekday in December and four days for events which generate valuable footfall for the town.

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