LYME Regis motorists will have to pay for parking up to 9pm all year round after town councillors gave their approval to increase parking revenue.

Lyme Regis Town Council's strategy and policy committee last week recommended to full council that from next April, charges in all of the town council-run car parks will run from 8am until 9pm, in both the summer and winter.

Councillors hope that a new residents loyalty card will allow locals to park free of charge during evenings, but no decision is yet to be made.

Cllr Stan Williams suggested that car parking charges at Monmouth Beach and Cabanya car parks should be raised. 

He said: "I believe the Monmouth Beach car park is very important. 

"Nobody has got a car park as close to the beach and the harbour as Lyme Regis. Monmouth Beach is prime and I believe we should be charging £1.50 per hour and I believe we should be charging from 8am until 9pm."

Speaking after the vote was passed, Cllr Michaela Ellis, said: "I didn't want to be charging after 6pm because it means that the residents could park and maybe then the visitors could stay on later in the evening because they are not paying to park. 

"Maybe then they would stay and use some of our facilities in the town."

Cllr Ellis said that the parking charges should be raised at the beach car parks, due to the popularity.

She said: "I see Monmouth Beach and Cabanya as our facilities car parks.

"They are where everybody wants to go. They are the first car parks to fill up every day.

"£1.50 per hour at Monmouth Beach and Cabanya, I really think that is no money down there for people who want to not have the bother of carrying stuff about. If you were to charge £20 per day down there, you would get it easily."

Cllr Daryl Turner, who represents the town at town, district and county level, told fellow councillors that by raising charges by 50 per cent an hour at the beach car parks would have been 'too expensive'.

He said : "I think £1.50 an hour is way too much. 

"I think it's too expensive. I think £1.20 is much more realistic."

Motorists at Monmouth Beach and Cabanya will be charged £1.20 an hour, while vehicles parked at Woodmead Halls will be charged £1 per hour and £30 for a weekly pass.

West Dorset District Council manage car parks in Lyme Regis at Cobb Gate, Broad Street, Holmbush and Charmouth Road, where payment is only required between 8am and 6pm, all year round.

It costs 70 pence to park at Cobb Gate and Broad Street for one hour, while motorists parking at Holmbush and Charmouth Road are charged £2 per day.

The changes will have be be approved by the full council at a meeting on Wednesday, November 18.