I AM writing about the recent increases in car parking charges in the two car parks in Winton.

The charges up until recently were 60p an hour and £1.10 for up to two hours.

But I see last week that the hourly rate has now been increased to £1 and the two hour rate has been increased to £1.50.

I think this is an unacceptable increase by the local council and of course applied six weeks before Christmas, the busiest time for shopping.

The last time the prices increased by 10p on both rates which is ok, but to increase them by over 50 per cent on the lower rate and approximately 35 per cent on the two hourly rate is really not at all fair.

The local shops have already lost a lot of revenue to Castlepoint, where the parking is free for four hours and I don’t think this is going to do the retailers in Winton any favours by increasing these charges.

By comparison the private parking company that runs the Sovereign Centre in Boscombe has recently put its prices down from £2 to £1 for two hours parking which is also under cover.

I for one will not be shopping in Winton as often as I used to down to these car parking charges.

DOROTHY JOHNSON Slades Farm Road, Bournemouth