​Traders have condemned a proposed shake-up of parking charges across the Cotswolds.

Cotswold District Council wants to extend its current scheme of charging from 8am to 6pm in car parks to 7am to 7pm in a bid to bring in more cash.

But businesses say this the proposal would hit them hard.

Cirencester Chamber of Commerce chairman Jonathan Davies said: “It’s just shortsighted. Are they really thinking what’s best for the town?

“Staff and customers need to be able to park or business will die.

“The local economy is essential for thriving market towns across the Cotswolds.”

Mr Davies said  the local authority had not listened to people on the ground. He said: “We set up a car parking working group last year, met with the district council and came up with a range of options.

“It was an overall car parking strategy with not only pricing recommendations but the most effective way to deliver parking, such as providing more shoppers’ parking.

“I’m extremely disappointed that, despite a lot of voluntary time and effort given up by a number of local people and particularly in the business community, this report has been delayed.

“We’re faced again with an annual increase in parking charges without a strategic approach.”

Steve Farnsworth, who runs Grimes House Antiques at Moreton-in-Marsh, said: “It’s sad they want to make yet more money by lengthening the charging hours.

“It will put people off using the car parks and probably result in ever more people filling up the unregulated areas.

“We need a cohesive parking strategy as the heart of the town’s business has been lost.

“The every day shops have been sacrificed for more cafes and restaurants.

“I know the authorities say we should use public transport more but this is a joke in a rural community.”

Mr Farnsworth welcomed a proposal to re-designate Station Road car park as a flexible stay area. The district council aims to  re-introduce the half-an-hour stay and cut the all-day charge.

He said: “They’ve at last recognised Moreton has a different perspective in its parking to the rest of the district. One of my beefs is it’s been a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

“But we have a total imbalance of parking in the town – a lack of county-controlled areas, some town council-controlled and then the district council extortionately charging.”

The proposed extension to charging  will have a knock-on effect on off-peak season tickets. The council proposes to increase ticket costs, to  save an annual £1,107 on the equivalent pay-and-display charge, or to replace off-peak season tickets with residents’ only, overnight, off-street parking  tickets.

The council’s cabinet will discuss recommendations at 2.30pm on Thursday.