NEW Dorset parking charges, due to come into effect from Thursday, 3 April are being advertised by Dorset Council.

They vary from around 50p an hour to more than £30 for a day's parking.

After a public outcry the authority has dropped its initial proposal for new overnight charges in parking areas where they did not exist before, but night-time parking charges will remain in many places.

The authority says most of the new charges are roughly in line with inflation, although some appear, from the council's own advertising, to have risen by more.

Dorset Council has said that it will carry out a complete review of all car parking fees during the course of this year, looking again at what, in effect, is three tiers of parking charges – the most expensive being at coastal resorts, followed by market towns and the lowest rates for more rural areas and some urban fringes.

The tier structure and new charges led to a 7,000-plus public petition in Weymouth last year with claims that local people were being penalised for living near a beach.

For this year the authority has promised to continue 'winter fees' at three main car parks – Weymouth's Swannery, West Bay and Charmouth Road, Lyme Regis, although there has been arguments opposing the choice of the three car parks and even the continuation of the lower fees.

On-street parking charges shown in the new schedule, vary from place to place with no overnight parking charge in some areas, but not others.

In Swanage it will cost a flat fee of £7.30 to park at anytime in Shore Road between 6pm to 8am; while in neighbouring Wareham you could park overnight at St John's Hill for free, as you could in Station Road, Swanage if you were able to find a space. Maximum charges in Swanage have gone up on Shore Road from £20.60 for ten hours in the daytime, to £21.70.

In Dorchester on-street parking charges will rise from £1.50 an hour to £1.70 with any night time parking, from 6pm to 8am, where this applies, increasing from £2 to £2.20.

Some of the cheapest parking in the county is at Ferndown where visitors to Penny's Lodge car park will pay 70p for an hour, up by 20p, or the maximum fee of £4,20, also up by 20p, for 10 hours.

Similar charges apply to three of Gillingham's car parks.

In Lyme Regis the new maximum charge for 24-hour parking is £34.70 at Holmbush and £33 at Charmouth Road.

The highest new figures shown in the council advertising of their new rates is reserved for some unlikely places – with a fee of £90 for seven days parking at Yarn Barton, Beaminster for both coaches and the multi-use area, up from £85. Similar long-use charges apply for West Street, Bridport and a handful of other areas.

Bridport has 30-minute charges in some car parks, which will go up by 20p to 70p, with rates per hour after that also rising by 20p, with a higher charge for 10 hours of £6.30, up by 30p.

Similar charges, and increases, apply in most of Dorchester's car parks.

Just a few miles away in Weymouth the cheapest parking you are likely to find anywhere near the main beach will be £1.70 for 30minutes, £3.20 for an hour; £4.80 for two hours; £6.30 for three; £7.90 for four hours and £15.80 for ten hours; although you might be able to find space in some of the cheaper town car parks for anywhere between £6.30 and £10.50 for 10-hour stays.

Dorset Council is reminding residents that a number of annual parking permits are on offer for those who are frequent users of car parks, but these too have seen an increase.

Off street flexi-stay permits will rise from £290 to £305 for 12 months; short stay permits from £90 to £95, with several car parks added to the list where short-stay permits can be used – these include the West Bay car parks for the Bridport Arms, Quayside, The George and The Mound car parks; in Weymouth Cosens Quay, Pavilion and Pavilion forecourt; on Portland Grangecroft and in Dorchester the Old Market car park.

The full details of all the changes can be found on the Dorset Council website – www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/trafficregulationorders.