Motorists are to be hit with the first increase in parking charges in Hounslow in six years.
The council has blamed government cuts for placing a strain on local authority budgets.
The blanket charge will come into effect from Monday (February 20) with the introduction of a new £1 charge for 30 minutes in council car parks.
Hounslow council's new payment includes an on-street charge of £1.20 per half an hour.
In addition the current and new parking charges to be implemented are shown in the table below:
| Number of hours parking in council car parks | Parking charges up to Feb 19, 2017 | Parking charges from Feb 20, 2017 |
| 0-30 minutes | Free parking | £1.00 (some car parks exempt) |
| 1 Hour | £1.50 | £1.80 |
| 2 Hours | £3.20 | £3.80 |
| 3 Hours | £5.00 | £6.00 |
| 4 Hours | £7.00 | £8.40 |
| 5 Hours | £9.50 | £11.40 |
| 11 Hours | £12.00 | £14.40 |
The silver lining for some residents will be the half hour free parking will remain at these car parks:
- Bethany Way car park
- Albany Parade car park
- Brentford High Street
- Wisdom Court car park
Two other car parks have been added to this list including Bridge House car park in Feltham and Chiswick Town Hall car park.
Any time over the free 30 minute parking will cost £1.80 at these sites.
Hounslow council says it has been forced to take the step for the first time in six years but has kept the fee at the lowest possible rate.
Councillor Sue Sampson, cabinet member for community protection at Hounslow Council, said: “We don’t like making increases on any charges.
"In an ideal world, we would rather they stay the same.
"We know the importance of our residents shopping locally and the fantastic effect that has on our local businesses and that residents also have to visit local services such as doctor’s surgeries and pharmacies, which means finding somewhere to park.
“But with the cuts to local council budgets getting more severe every year, it is simply not possible to keep charges as they are.
"We have avoided this increase for six years and all we can do is make the increases as minimal as possible."
