FREE parking after 6pm is set to be scrapped in Burnley Council car parks in a bid to make more money from football fans.

The council are proposing to carry on charging for Pay and Display parking up until 9pm at its 17 car parks.

Currently motorists only have to pay if parking on a council car park between 8am and 6pm.

Council bosses are also considering increasing the rate paid for parking by their own staff and on contract deals in a bid to increase revenue.

Peter Stobbs, from Burnley Council, said in a report to councillors: “There is a modest financial advantage to be gained from extending the current charging period, which ends at 6pm, into the evening.

“Private sector operators of public parking facilities are open for business in the evening when there are Burnley FC home games, so there is a demonstrated demand for off street parking on such and similar occasions.”

Hundreds of Clarets fans use the William Thompson and Centenary Way car parks for evening games without having to pay at the moment.

The cost of parking at long stay car parks in the town centre is also to rise by 20p in the proposals.

Coun Julie Cooper, leader of the Labour group on Burnley Council, said she feared the changes would drive shoppers away.

“Shops are already struggling, they have the VAT rise to cope with in January, and this could drive people out of the town centre.

“Just as people have been told redundancies and the VAT rise are coming, they are also going to face extra charges for services.”

Operational staff working for the council will face a rise from £171 to £277 for their parking through the year, while non-operational staff face a hike from £171 to £346.

In a letter to staff Angela Culleton, the council’s environmental services manager, said parking charges had been reviewed has they had been frozen since 2007.

She said: “Additional revenues from council operated car parks would ease the expected strain and reduce the need to find savings.”