Motorists in north Norfolk face a rise in longer-term car parking charges and more expensive season tickets - but cheaper two-hour stays as the local council tries to balance the books and support local town centres.

Motorists in north Norfolk face a rise in longer-term car parking charges and more expensive season tickets - but cheaper two-hour stays as the local council tries to balance the books and support local town centres.

A �15.8m district council budget

was backed by cabinet members on Monday, along with a proposed 3.45pc rise in its share of the council tax bill.

As part of the package, a range of recommended car parking charge changes will bring another �123,000 into the council coffers.

It would mean:

In short-stay and standard car parks the current 60p for one hour and �1.20p for two, is replaced with a �1 fee up to two hours, with 70p hourly increases after that.

In tourist car parks the hourly rate rises 10p to �1.10, and the all-day rate 50p to �5.

Annual season ticket rises of �10 for short-stay to �50 and �15 to �180 for long-stay, with other variances for half- yearly and quarterly tickets.

The 20-minute mini-stay for 10p is retained.

Resources cabinet member Peter Moore said it meant short-term parking was actually cheaper for the first two hours, in a bid to encourage people to shop in local towns.

He said the season tickets still represented good value for money, but Nigel Ripley told the cabinet he felt the 25pc increase in short-stay fees was excessive and he would be raising the matter when the scrutiny committee looked at the budget on Friday. The full council is due to make a final decision on the budget on February 18.

Mr Moore said it had been a “challenging time” trying to balance the budget this year, because of the “turmoil” in the financial markets, falling investment income and a “meagre” government grant of an extra 1.11pc which gave the council just another �97,345.

The proposed council tax rise meant the average Band D home would pay �135.09 for its district series, which was just another 9p a week.

Savings included a review of CCTV coverage and drop in frequency of verge cutting, while extra income came from some extra planning charges, higher garden waste fees and the car parking changes.

Resources director Sheila Oxtoby said the expected extra income was �138,484 but it would cost �15,000 to bring in the changes.