LONGER stay car parking will cost more in the centre of Durham from next month.

Durham City Council, which is increasing its share of the council tax by 12.5 per cent, is also increasing many of the charges at its car parks.

Most of the increases are being levied on people who park for more than three hours.

For example, the charge for up to four hours parking in the Milburngate multi-storey car park will rise from £1.50 to £2 while the cost of parking for more than six hours will rise from £4.50 to £6.

The charges for up to two hours and up to three hours will remain at £1 and £1.50 respectively.

A yearly season ticket will cost £750 instead of the current £500, the half-yearly fee will rise from £260 to £390 and the quarterly fee will be £200 instead of £137.

The new charges are due to come into force from Monday, March 25.

They follow the Labour-run council's "disappointing'' financial settlement from the Government, which meant it had to ask for more from council taxpayers.

Councillors were told on Tuesday that the council tax increase, as well as increases in many fees and charges, would mean only £23,823 of its spending would have to be funded from its reserves.