MUDEFORD Sandbank beach hut owners look likely to be hit hard by spiralling car park price increases next year.

Proposals going before Christchurch Borough Council's Wednesday evening community services committee include doubling the weekly car park ticket at Mudeford Quay to £50 during the peak months of July, August and September in an effort to free up spaces at the popular location.

Increasing the charges at Mudeford Quay has been put forward by Cllr Mike Duckworth.

He sees it as a way of improving turnover, and therefore income, in a year where there is a potential £500,000 shortfall between income and expenditure.

The problem at Mudeford Quay arises from up to 100 beach hut owners who daily catch the ferry to the sandbank for a day basking in the sun outside their huts.

Cllr Duckworth says that to increase revenue those drivers have to be encouraged to park in the Avon Run Road car park, almost half-a-mile away.

He also suggests limiting to eight hours the maximum time season ticket holders can park at the quay.

Lesley Hallett, secretary of the Mudeford Sandbank Beach Huts Association, is still smarting from rent and transfer charge increases imposed this spring.

She said: "I can totally understand where they are coming from, but I think it's abominable."

Wages are not going up in line with the level of increases imposed on the beach hut community, she said.

"Is there no restraint on a council to stop them doing this? Why can't they spread these increases throughout the borough? Why pick on people who have a second property?"

The council is proposing increases at other car parks including the Priory, Christchurch Quay, Mayor's Mead, Avon Run Road, South-cliffe Road, Steamer Point and Highcliffe cliff top.

Changes proposed for popular Highcliffe Castle car park are from 60p to £1 for up to two hours and from £1 to £3 for up to four hours during April, bringing charges into line with the May 1 to September 30 charges.

Shopping car park tariff changes relate to stays of more than three hours.

Largest shoppers' increases proposed are the "over four hours" charges at the Law Courts, Christchurch and Wortley Road, Highcliffe, which look likely to go up by 50p to £4.

First published: October 26