WOKINGHAM Borough Council has defended the increase in parking charges at Dinton Pastures.

New charges came into force from Friday, January 15 and saw some prices nearly double.

They run on two different charging schemes throughout the year, one between October 1 and March 1, the other between March 2 and September 30.

The price hikes have been introduced in efforts to make the car parks self financing and bring costs in line with neighbouring authorities.

Cllr Angus Ross, executive member for environment, said: "We’ve looked very carefully to balance car park charges against the need to make country parks self-financing in the very difficult current financial climate.

"We want to enhance our non-statutory country park facilities for local people, but their long-term maintenance needs ongoing funding and car park charges are the only major income source.

"In these hard financial times council tax cannot stretch to subsidise them. Country parks must be self-financing.

"Visitors who are staying longer and using facilities for longer will be paying more.

"These facilities need managing and maintaining. The bird hides, the ever popular play area, the lakes, the woodlands – they all need to be kept to a standard our visitors expect and enjoy, and it is logical and fair that those who are using more of these facilities or for longer should more."

During the winter drivers will pay £1.20 for every hour they're parked between 6am and 10pm Monday to Friday. If they are there for more than four hours a flat rate of £6 will apply.

At weekends the charge will be £1.50 an hour upto four hours, after four hours a £6 flat rate applies.

In the summer, both weekdays and during the weekend the £1.50 hourly rate applies for a maximum of four hours after which the £6 rate applies for the day.

Under the old scheme drivers could park for one hour for £1.20, four hours for £2.50 or a maximum fee of £4.

Those staying for three hours used to pay a fee of £4.50.

The council says the average length of stay is two hours.