CHESTER City Council was yesterday preparing to increase charges for the authority's city centre car parks and its Park & Ride services.

But the council says the cash raised from the first increases in three years at Chester's Park & Ride sites will be ploughed back into providing a better service.

That's the deal the city council is offering as it proposes to raise Park & Ride charges by 10p. Some of the council's car park charges may be increased by an average of 20p to help fund improvements.

A statement issued by the council on Wednesday said: 'Unlike the private sector, with shareholders to think of, money raised through the council's car parks is reinvested in local services.

'These include a drive to meet the Secure Car Parks standard, a national award operated by the British Parking Association and the police to improve the quality of car parks and cut crime.

'Other recent investments include the new Christmas lights, which help attract visitors to spend in Chester.

'Park & Ride fares are lower than car park charges as part of a policy to encourage motorists to use one of the city's four sites and reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

'The short stay car parks are designed to ensure car park spaces are available throughout the day and at approximately 80p an hour for a four-hour visit competes well with many other cities' parking rates.'

The successful Park & Ride service with sites at Wrexham Road, Sealand Road, Upton and Boughton is the fourth largest in the country, carrying more than a million passengers a year and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The council operates 11 car parks with more than 2,500 spaces with the most popular three-hour stay around half the cost of Chester's private car parks.

The Park & Ride fare is going up in January from £1.20 to £1.30 to help pay for the improved service.

The timetable runs from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and a new Sunday service, from 9.30am to 6pm. The proposed increases were due to be discussed by Chester City Council's cabinet yesterday (Thursday, December 11).