Further options have been put forward as part of a review into raising parking charges.

Flintshire Council’s cabinet will now consider at least four proposals to amend its current charging structure as it looks to make savings of almost £1m.

Members of the environment overview and scrutiny committee suggested another two proposals on top of the two put forward by officers during their meeting yesterday.

Fees at local authority sites will rise from April after officers conducted its first review of the scheme introduced initially in July 2015.

Options were put before the committee, with one offering potential benefit of £954,496 – an increase of almost £500,000.

Currently, Flintshire Council recoups £459,509 while £886,000 is spent managing its car parks.

They will now consider a further two options that include variations on the introduction of short-stay parking for a smaller fee.

Cllr Carolyn Thomas, cabinet member for Streetscene and environment, said it was “another thing we’re having to do to balance the books”.

Steve Jones, chief officer for Streetscene and transportation, said there was “sympathy” towards the challenges that would be brought about by raising charges and it was “clearly a difficult time” and a “controversial issue”.

He added that the council was “constantly reviewing” issues surrounding car parking, such as displacement and the impact of where charges were implemented.

The authority is also considering any offers of on-street parking and cited consultations on de-pedestrianisation of town centres in Buckley and Holywell, as well as recognising the “benefit” of drop-off areas.

Mr Jones said charges remained “relatively low” in comparison with other areas and the council was committed to revisiting the fees as part of a regular review.

Option one would increase Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Holywell, Queensferry and Shotton to 50p for up to four hours and £1 all day.

Option two would offer 50p for up to two hours and £1 all day.

Currently, the five communities are charged 20p for two hours, 50p for four hours or £1 all day.

Recommendations put forward by Cllr Mike Peers and Cllr Sean Bibby will also be discussed by cabinet next week – calling for the introduction of a 20p short-stay tariff for an hour and/or 30 minutes respectively.

In Mold, charges would move to £1 for up to four hours and £1.50 all day under option one, or £1 for three hours and £2 all day in option two.

In comparison, drivers currently pay 50p for up to three hours, 80p for four hours and £1 all day.

Mold’s Love Lane car park would increase to £1 all day from 50p under both proposals while County Hall tariffs would increase to £1 for up to four hours and £2 for all day under option one.

Option two would offer £1 for up to two hours and £2 all day, compared to 20p for four hours, 50p all day currently.

As parking charges are yet to take effect in Flint, they would either be implemented as 50p for up to four hours and £1 all day under option one or 50p for two hours and £1 all day under option two.

Flint Railway Station would increase from £2 a day to £4 under both plans.

Cllr Chris Dolphin, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said “towns in Flintshire all have different needs” and as a result all needed a different pricing structure on car parks, proposing charges in Holywell should not be increased.

He suggested that the town centre had been “abandoned” and it would “placate the people” who “deserve something from the county council” not to adjust the fees while proposed de-pedestrianisation was “an accident waiting to happen”.

Cllr Haydn Bateman opposed such a move, saying all county car parks should be “treated the same”, adding “either raise them all or leave them the same.”

In proposing the introduction of a cheaper short-stay option, Cllr Bibby, Shotton West, said he was “under no illusion” at the financial situation faced by the authority, car parking charges was a “contentious issue” and there was a need to proceed with an increase.

Cllr Peers suggested that charging 50p for two hours “to pop in for a loaf is too much” and offered that 20p for an hour may be workable.

Chief officer Mr Jones was hesitant, saying short stay parking might dissuade people from spending time in town centres.

Cllr Owen Thomas, Cilcain, said as Flintshire provided the car parks, they should all be charged the same, regardless of location.

He added that machines that give change may make life easier for drivers.

Cllr Richard Jones, who had campaigned for free parking to remain in Buckley when charges were originally brought in back in 2015 and ever since, said there are “different offers in every town” and members needed to know the expected income and expenditure before deciding what levels of tariff are applied.

He said charges should “be used to support business in towns, not plug a gap in the budget.”

Cllr Aaron Shotton, leader of Flintshire Council, said parking charges were an issue that had been “perpetually divisive in this council” and raising charges was about addressing a budget gap.

He added: “In other areas, they wouldn’t have this debate.

“We are still relatively cheap in comparison.”

Cllr Peers said Flintshire should be “maximising what we can” and it was time to look again at the criteria of some areas where parking remained free – such as sites with less than 50 spaces.

Members voted to put forward Cllr Peers and Bibby’s proposals alongside the existing two options to cabinet when it meets next week.