A DISTRICT councillor has criticised Oxford’s “extortionate” car parking fares after the Oxford Mail revealed council takings from drivers.

Cherwell District Council Conservative vice-chairwoman Melanie Magee – who is standing for the party in Oxford East at the next general election – said Labour-run Oxford City Council fees are “exorbitant”.

The Oxford Mail revealed on Saturday that the city council had made a £4.1m surplus in 2013/14 in car park charges.

The Cherwell councillor for Bicester North and South said: “The charges are extortionate.

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“I appreciate they have in place a ‘green travel’ approach but so do other authorities across the county who don’t charge such high fees.”

Parking up to an hour at Oxford’s Westgate Centre is £2.50 in the week compared to £1.10 at Cherwell’s Banbury Market Place car park.

The mother-of-one also said the parking fees were “damaging to businesses” that relied on drivers coming into Oxford to shop.

On Saturday the Oxford Mail revealed that the city council was also planning to increase the cost of hourly car parking by up to 30p in the car parks it owns.

Leader of Oxford City Council Bob Price said the decision to increase car parking charges was because of major projects such as plans to redevelop the Westgate centre.

Businesses have previously called for Cherwell to scrap some charges in its car parks, like West Oxfordshire District Council has done.

Mrs Magee also criticised the city council’s use of a car fitted with CCTV that records parking violations. The vehicles – branded “spy” cars – are to be banned from enforcing parking restrictions under the Government’s Deregulation Bill.

Mrs Magee was selected as parliamentary candidate for Oxford East earlier this month.

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