CHARGES look certain to be introduced at a free car park in Upton-upon-Severn.

However members of Upton Town Council, which owns the car park in Old Street, want these to be “nominal”

so as not to discourage people from visiting the town or damaging its economy.

Councillors fear that when civil parking enforcement is introduced next October, the threat of being ticketed will see dozens of cars currently parking on the streets clogging up the free car park.

There are also concerns it will be seen as an easy alternative to avoid buying a new £75 parking permit that has been introduced for households that do not have offstreet parking.

Councillors have therefore agreed to have the car park incorporated into and enforced as part of the civil enforcement scheme, which will be controlled by Malvern Hills District Council.

Although the town council is free to set its own charges, MHDC has warned that offering free stays will make parking restrictions almost impossible to enforce.

Mayor Andrea Morgan said she would favour a “very nominal fee of perhaps 10p or 20p for an hour”.

“It would be lovely to be able to keep it as a free car park but unfortunately I don’t think that is feasible,”

she added.

The town council will now enter negotiations with MHDC over becoming part of the civil enforcement scheme.