Gloucestershire County Council's plans to increase on-street parking permit charges for residents have been criticised as "unfair and wrong."

The council says it wants to bring its on-street parking charges in line with district council and privately operated off street car parks.

On Wednesday 19 December, the county council's cabinet will look at proposals to update the cost of parking in on street pay and display parking bays following recent changes to off street parking charges at district council car parks.

The report also proposes a £10 per year increase to residents parking permits, bringing the cost for the first permit to £60, with a £20 increase to the cost of permits for second cars. The county council says the cost of residents parking permits has not increased for eight years, and remains lower than the cost in 2011.

The plans also include the "pay per minute" model which will allow for more flexibility for short stay on street parkers and will be introduced mainly in Gloucester and Cheltenham where demand for parking spaces is higher.

But county councillor Jeremy Hilton (Lib Dem, Kingsholm and Wotton) said: "The proposal to increase residents' parking permits is unfair and wrong. It was the Lib Dems who got the first car fee reduced from £80 to £50 some time ago.

"Now the Tories are going to increase this charge up to £60 and £120 for the second car. The council is already having problems with on street enforcement due to a shortage of staff.

"Why should residents who have to suffer parking congestion from commuters in their street have to pay more to secure a parking permit. It is highway robbery."

The county council said that following concerns from local residents around parking by non-bus users, the county council is currently consulting on proposals to introduce parking charges at Arle Court Park and Ride. It says this would free up more spaces to help cut congestion in Cheltenham town centre.

Cllr David Norman, the county council cabinet member responsible for parking said: "The charges in many of our town and city centre parking bays have not increased in more than ten years and our business and resident permit costs have been frozen since 2011 - despite increasing enforcement costs and more demand for on street parking spaces.

"We set our charges looking at districts' on-street parking fees - they know their local areas best and we follow their lead carefully.

"Any money we make from parking, funds our parking service costs, with any extra going to other improvements in traffic management, road improvements, subsidised buses and concessionary transport, that help reduce the pressure on the roads".

If approved, the new charges will come into effect from April 2019.