CAR parking charges in Stevenage have more than doubled in some areas to the anger of commuters. Commuters using car parks at the train station should expect to pay £5.30 a day if they arrive before 8.30am – an increase of £2.80 per day. The new charges w

CAR parking charges in Stevenage have more than doubled in some areas to the anger of commuters.

Commuters using car parks at the train station should expect to pay £5.30 a day if they arrive before 8.30am - an increase of £2.80 per day.

The new charges which have been enforced by Stevenage Borough Council also apply to car parks at Daneshill, Danesgate, the leisure centre, Southgate, St George's multi-storey and Fairlands.

Commuter J.Hills of Stevenage, who parks in the Southgate car park, said: "I already pay £2.50 a day to park my car but when I returned last Friday evening I found the charge had increased to almost £6 a day and on a fee structure clearly designed to penalise those travelling by train who have long working days.

"I already pay over £3,000 a year for my train ticket and an extra car park charge of £1,500 a year is just impossible.

"What is the rationale for this? Where was the consultation or prior warning for such a huge change?

"It is surely the job of a local authority to consider the needs of its residents and provide the services they need at an affordable rate.

"Those travelling to London by train are not a block of anonymous commuters; they are individual hard working Stevenage residents, council tax payers and voters.

"It is just this sort of step that forces people to park in residential roads and walk some distance to the station."

Garry Legate of Stevenage added: "This is just a rip-off and there can be no justification in this increase."

A council spokesman said: "Parking charges go up every year and the revenue from the revised parking charges will go towards the upkeep of our car parks.

"All of our car parks have recently been resurfaced and re-let and are covered by CCTV which is linked directly to the police.

"We will be spending over half a million pounds this year on parking-related projects as Stevenage people have flagged this up as one of their top priorities.