BOROUGH chiefs have defused a row over “increased” charges for a new car park.

It follows a complaint by borough councillor John Wilson that shoppers and traders, especially those at Ellesmere Port Market, were finding the site in Shrewsbury Road too expensive to keep using.

The facility was created earlier this year by demolishing a number of dilapidated properties, allowing for 52 pay-and-display parking spaces.

Cllr Wilson wrote to the council’s chief executive, Brenda Harvey, and its legal department over the “urgent” matter.

He told them: “I clearly remember Jane Williamson, borough head of property and support services, telling me and others at a market traders meeting last year that the fees there for all- day parking would be the same as the main Civic Way car park.

“This is not the case. The fee in Shrewsbury Road has been set at £3 for all day, not £1.50 as in Civic Way.

“Clearly this is an error that must be corrected as a matter of urgency.”

When contacted by the Pioneer, the borough’s parking services unit manager, Margaret Morris, said: “We have responded directly to Cllr Wilson’s enquiry explaining that the Shrewsbury Road car park is a short-stay car park with long-stay provision.

“The fees and charges for this car park were agreed by our environment committee in January 2007. It has not at any time been suggested that the fees would be the same as the Civic Centre car park.

“The fees on the Shrewsbury Road car park were set to encourage short-stay parking but the intention was to provide an area where long-stay was possible so that traders could park there all day if they wished.”

Minutes for the environment committee from January 2007 show fees and charges for the Civic Way car park are 50p for up to two hours and 70p for two to four hours. The maximum stay is four hours.

Councillors then decided charges for Shrewsbury Road would be 50p for up to two hours, 70p for two to four hours and £3 for more than four hours.

In both car parks charges are applied seven days a week from 8am-6pm, including bank holidays.