PARKING charges have been increased in Uppingham - despite opposition from traders.
However, the price rises are not as high as originally envisaged.
Today Rutland County Council's Cabinet met in Oakham where it was decided that short stay parking of one hour in Uppingham should be raised from 10p to 40p.
Two-hour stays will be in
creased by 70p to £1.10, while three-hour fares will rise from £1.10 to £1.50.
In addition, long-stay off-road parking of more than three hours will go up from £1.80 to £2.20, or £3.30 on Fridays.
Rutland County Council had proposed that motorists should pay 70p for an hour's off-street parking in Uppingham.
Another recommendation before today's meeting had been that the charge for two-hour stays in the town should go up to £1.30 and three-hour parking should rise from £1.10 to £1.80.
It was also proposed that long-stay off-road parking of up to five hours would rise from £1.30 to a fee of £4 for more than three hours, rising to £4.10 on Fridays.
The proposals had attracted ill feeling from many businesses in the town, who expressed concerns it would put people off from coming into town, hampering trade in the process.
Uppingham chamber of trade chairman Sarah Groundsell, who runs Made Gallery, in Orange Street, has organised a petition opposing the proposals.
She said she was pleased the rises were lower than anticipated but vowed to fight on to get the increases scrapped.
She said: "It's better than had initially been proposed and I am pleased that we had some effect on this.
"But we are going to carry on our campaign to stop the rises."
