Car parking rises came into force in Bath and Keynsham this week : with dramatic increases being introduced for season tickets.

Hourly charges for council car parks in Bath have gone up by 10p an hour, with a one-hour stay jumping from £1.60 to £1.70 and a four-hour visit increasing from £6.40 to £6.80. People parking between 8pm and 8am will also have to pay a £1.50 overnight charge.

Council car parks in Keynsham will now cost 30p for each hour of a stay, meaning a two hour ticket will go up from 40p to 60p and a four hour ticket will jump from 90p to £1.20.

The most dramatic increases will be to the cost of season tickets for parking. Bath and North East Somerset Council has indicated that season tickets for Charlotte Street, Avon Street, and Manvers street will now cost £222.30 a month.

This means users of Avon Street and Manvers Street car parks will pay about £51 more a month but, for people who have had Monday to Friday tickets for non-reserved spaces at the more affordable car park at Charlotte Street, it is an increase of £105.

The price of a season ticket, valid all seven days of the week at Charlotte Street, will more than double from £135.58 to £337.16, while an annual ticket will go from £1,633.50 to over £4,045.86.

All reserved spaces at the car park are also being returned to general use. Season tickets of all lengths for Keynsham long stay will also roughly double.

The changes will also see the scrapping of the 10 per cent parking discount for Bath and North East Somerset residents and introduce charges for people parking at park and rides but not using the bus. It will cost £1 to leave your car at a park and ride for an hour, or £2 for 24 hours, but parking will remain free for people using the park and ride bus.

The cost of a permit for resident car parks will rise to £237.75 and the Southview Road car park in Oldfield Park will also become residents only.

Manda Rigby, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for transport, said: "These are relatively small changes and only the second time in 12 years that they have increased.

"We want to help shift the way people get around to encourage more walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, especially for shorter journeys, as part of our Journey to Net Zero ambitions.

"Thank you to everyone who shared their views in the public consultation."