Warning to 400,000 drivers over huge change to parking rules THIS WEEK – everything to know to avoid losing £100s

A HUGE change to parking rules has come into force this week, affecting around 400,000 drivers.

The overhaul of charges will see many motorists paying to stop for the first time.

A wave of new parking charges is being rolled out in Cheshire as the local council looks to "reduce the financial burden" on its accounts.

All council-owned car parks in Cheshire East, most of which were previously free, will now see charges of between 30p and £3.40 introduced.

The only exception will be small car parks where it is "not cost-effective" to bring in a paid system.

Almost all of the affected sites will also become "cash-free", meaning drivers will only be able to buy by debit or credit cards at pay-and-display machines.

They will also have the option to use the RingGo app instead.

But the council guaranteed that at least one car park in each of the towns impacted would continue to accept cash payments.

The authority will also maintain a "free after three" initiative, which eliminates all charges after 3pm each day, as well as before 9am.

And it has extended its off-street parking permit system to cover more parts of the region.

This allows residents who don't have access to driveways or garages to apply for a 12-month permit for specified car parks at a discount.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith, who chairs Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, insisted that the new charges were needed to maintain parking in the area.

He said: ";While we recognise these new parking arrangements have caused some concerns, they are necessary to ensure all our towns are treated in a fair and equal way and to reduce some of the financial burden facing the council.

"Each year, the cost of maintenance, management, and enforcement for all our car parks is considerable, and the costs continue to rise.

"Therefore, it is only fair that each parking site contributes to these expenses.

"Once the changes have come into effect, we will continue to monitor the situation closely across the borough so that interventions can be made where necessary."

The measures went into force on December 2.

It comes after drivers were warned that they risk having their insurance invalidated if they fit a common feature to their cars.