Shoppers lose no-fee car parking on Sundays

Free Sunday parking will be scrapped within weeks across Dudley with shoppers now facing an 80p fee for any length of stay, it has been announced.

Charges will come into force on April 20.

Increased fees will be introduced at Stourbridge's Ryemarket, Bell Street and Birmingham Street car parks, Manor Park and Penzer Street car parks in Kingswinford, The Precinct in Halesowen, Pitfield Street car park in Dudley, and Bilston Street car park in Sedgley.

The new charges are part of a series of increases to raise an extra £100,000 for council coffers.

The prices were last put up by the authority in May 2007 and the majority of the increases relate to all-day parking charges.

The biggest rise will be in Sedgley where the all-day parking fee will spiral from £1.30 to £2.50. At Birmingham Street car park in Stourbridge the charge will go up from £1.50 to £2.50.

In Dudley, Stourbridge, Halesowen and Brierley Hill, the all-day charge will rise from £2.30 to £2.50.

In Kingswinford it will rise from £2.30 to £2.50.

The move has come under fire from shopkeepers.

Cabinet member for transport, Councillor Angus Adams, said other boroughs were also charging for Sunday parking.