PARKING charges could increase by as much as 50 per cent in Oxford, if a county council plan is given the go-ahead.

The county authority looks after on-street parking in Oxford, while the city council controls other off-street car parks, including Worcester Street and Gloucester Green.

Under changes proposed in the council’s 2019/20 budget, the charge for an hour’s on-street parking on Saturdays could increase from £3 to £4.50.

Charges for two hours on Saturdays are likely to be set at £7.30.

The county council said the changes would mean it dealt with ‘anomalies’ with city council car parks.

Meanwhile, the charges for on-street parking between Sunday and Friday could increase by a third, from £3 to £4.

The charge for an hour on those days would increase by a £1, from £5 to £6.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said: “The proposed revised charges do two things. At present there are a range of different on-street charges in different locations in the city and it is also cheaper in some instances to park on-street than off.

“The proposed charges deal with the anomalies and also seek to encourage greater use of off-street parking, such as park-and-rides, or pay-and-displays, while still allowing those who do need to visit and park on-street for limited periods to do so.”