THERE will be no free parking on car parks in Burnley town centre on Saturdays.

Councillors decided that offering free parking on their town centre car parks after 3pm on Saturdays to bring them in line with rivals Blackburn, would cost them too much, an estimated £15,000 in lost income.

An increase in charges was agreed including a 20 per cent rise from 80p to £1 for stays of between one and two hours and a fifty per cent leap from £1 to £1.50 for stays of between two to four hours.

Short stay charges of less than an hour will remain the same at 50p and for over four hours also the same at £4.

The proposals prompted complaints from traders when they were announced before last night's meeting of the full council.

Executive member for environment and transport Coun Roger Frost told the full council that the Saturday free parking after 3pm suggestion had been withdrawn because of the cost.

He said the overall percentage increase they were taking about was six per cent but that the Press had picked up on the one increase which he described as a "scaremongering job".

Council leader Stuart Caddy said that although the percentage rise of 50 per cent in one case the sum involved was not a big amount. Burnley still compared favourably with Blackburn and other larger towns on car parking charges.

The new charges are due to come into effect on April 1. It is estimated that they will bring in an extra £26,000 revenue for the council which is trying to make savings of £850,000 in the budget process.