Traders have hit out at plans to increase car park charges in South Lakeland in a bid to save and upgrade a number of public toilets.

The car park charge squeeze was mooted by South Lakeland District Council after councillors and officers discovered a legal loophole enabling them to reinvest money raised through parking charges in car park toilets.

Councillors hope the move could raise up to £400,000 of much-needed annual income to fund on-going toilet maintenance costs of around £215,000 and a major car park repair programme to the tune of £250,000.

But Richard Freeman of Windermere and Bowness Chamber of Trade said many Lake District business owners felt car park prices were already too expensive - deterring visitors and stifling trade.

For example, under the proposed charging system, visitors, shoppers and residents parking

at Broad Street or Rayrigg Meadow, Windermere, would see the cost of a three-hour stay rise

from £1.50 to £2 - as would visitors at King

Street or Lake Road, Ambleside, Kendal's Westmorland Shopping Centre and South Lakeland House, and Grange's Hampsfell Road, Windermere Road and Main Street.

A number of car parks will see no change to the charge, while the cost of a one-hour stay in a number of places will increase by a smaller sum of ten pence.

The report, set to be considered by councillors next Wednesday (November 13) explained "a significant amount of additional revenue" would be required to preserve and maintain car park conveniences, while "major repairs" were needed to bring car parks up to a "safe and acceptable standard" including upgrades to surfaces, lines, signs and furniture.

As previously reported, seven toilets have already been shut as part of phase one of the 2001 cost-cutting policy that has attracted widespread criticism and prompted The Westmorland Gazette's Save our Public Toilets campaign.

Ticketing revenue cannot be used to pay for loos that are not on car parks.

However, members

are hoping that by using parking pounds to care for these conveniences, there will be more

money in the budget for public toilets elsewhere.

SLDC transport portfolio holder Coun Bob Barker said short-stay car park charges had carried the major burden of parking tariff increases in the past.

But this year the short-stay prices had been deliberately kept down - which would help short-stay shoppers' parking costs.

Bill Smith of Ambleside and District Chamber of Trade said, although he did not necessarily want tourists to bear the brunt of the charges, the costs would be mitigated to some extent if they were being offered decent facilities in return.

Mr Freeman said he could appreciate SLDC needed to raise money for public toilets but he feared the charges would encourage visitors to take their custom elsewhere: "This increase is too much, it is out of proportion."