Motorists who outstay their welcome could soon find themselves £40 out of pocket.

West Oxfordshire District Council is enforcing car parking orders which will limit the time people can park both long and short-term in Witney, where attitudes used to be more relaxed.

Notices have already gone up in the town's Welch Way car park and the long term car park off Witan Way.

The imposition of short-stay restrictions in the Witan Way car park has been put on hold, as work is currently under way to resurface it. The restriction limits parking to two hours in the short-stay car park and 12 hours out of any 24 in the long-term car parking.

Those who fail to obey these restrictions - and others, including parking outside bays and in disabled bays without the necessary badge - will incur a £40 fine. This is reduced to £20 if it is paid within 14 days.

Over the years the car parks have had parking orders but these have not been enforced. A new set of orders was drawn up earlier this year.

District council director of environmental services Paul Lankester said: "In the first few weeks we will be giving people warnings, but if they continue to ignore the restrictions then they will be fined. "Restrictions in the short-term section of the Witan Way car park will be the subject of a report to members of the environment committee at the end of the month."

Free parking in the town is under threat, with west Oxfordshire district councillors fighting proposals from Labour and Liberal Democrats on Oxfordshire County Council.

They have warned district councillors they could lose out on central Government funding for improvements in Witney town centre unless they introduce parking charges.

Story date: Saturday 16 October

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