CHRISTMAS shoppers could be the next in line for unwelcome parking charges if speculation that East Hampshire District Council wants to withdraw its free Christmas parking scheme is confirmed.

The fear that the three-year trial is not being renewed comes as opposition mounts to the council's imposition of unpopular Sunday parking charges and increased parking costs in its town centre car parks.

The scheme, which was set up to encourage shoppers into the town and support local businesses, has operated on selected days in the lead-up to Christmas since 2005.

According to the East Hampshire prospective MP, Adam Carew, who is also EHDC shadow portfolio holder for environment and transport, the process required for putting the free Christmas parking scheme into operation has not been started yet, suggesting that the concession is not being given this year.

Mr Carew said: "We have both written and verbal confirmation from officers that no free car parking is being planned this Christmas to boost local trade in Alton. We are told that normally the Orders would have been made by now. If correct, this is a double whammy.

"Already our local businesses, shoppers and residents are having to pay through the nose for the increased car parking charges and Sunday parking in EHDC car parks – now we are told there will be no traditional seasonal let up this Christmas either.

"Once again, this Conservative-run council has shown how completely out of touch they are with the community they were elected to serve. We are supposed to be supporting our local businesses during the credit crisis instead, we are faced with more Tory penny pinching.

"Lib Dems have supported the free Christmas car parking at Alton and Petersfield for the last three years and we strongly urge EHDC to do the same again this year.

"It seems our enquiries have already set alarm bells ringing in Penns Place. The Tories are already floundering under public pressure about unpopular car parking charges and if they have any sense they will bring this matter back to Cabinet as a matter of urgency and allow the scheme to go ahead as per usual."

Alton town councillor Robert Saunders, who has been gathering petitions against increased car parking charges and Sunday parking over the past two weekends, said: "So much for the season of goodwill. This will do nothing to help our local traders and residents. It's just another case of the miserly Tory-run district council playing Scrooge this Christmas."

Traders in the town are also alarmed by the council's lack of Christmas spirit.

Stephen Lewis, secretary of Alton Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is made worse by the Sunday parking charges and I will be asking my committee to support me in writing a letter complaining on behalf of our members."

Mr Lewis added that when the free Christmas parking was operating in the town, EHDC did not properly sign the concession, so people tended to pay the charge anyway.

"It seems that EHDC were not taking it too seriously," he said.

Claire Hearse of the Little Green Dragon bookshop said: "I think it's insensitive given the current financial climate. Free parking is a nice gesture that encouraged people to come into the town."

Bill Hutcheson of Hutcheson's Whisky Shop added: "It's not very positive especially in this current climate when they are trying to encourage small businesses – it flies in the face of all other initiatives.

"I am pretty specialist so people come to me regardless, but it will restrict people coming into town, particularly when we are close to Farnham, Basingstoke and Camberley that do have free Christmas parking.

"It's not going to be very welcoming."

Richard Millard, EHDC's portfolio holder for business development, would not be drawn into the controversy.

He said: "The Christmas parking scheme is still under discussion and a decision will be made in the next few weeks."