PENSIONERS, companies and those on the breadline will face increased hardship if plans by Southampton city chiefs to charge more for council tax, parking and meals on wheels get the go-ahead.

Civic leaders are proposing above-inflation rises that would hit people in the pocket twice, as revealed in yesterday's Daily Echo.

Elderly people's charities, residents' associations and businesses have united to condemn the plans.

Age Concern Hampshire director Chris Perry said plans to increase meals on wheels charges from £2.65 to £2.95 - more than four times the rate of inflation - would hit pensioners on low incomes hard.

He said: "Their income only goes up by the rate of inflation, which is currently running at about 2.5 per cent. These increases are ten per cent, about four times the rate of inflation.

"Obviously, anything that goes up more than the rate of inflation is going to cause hardship to people on retirement pensions."

Meanwhile, plans to increase off-street car parking charges in the city by five per cent and charge drivers between 5.30pmand 6.30pm for the first time have also come under fire from residents' groups and business leaders.

Last year, the ruling Liberal Democrat administration tried to introduce night-time parking charges across the city centre.

However, their plans were shelved after an outcry from traders and residents.

Karen Bladen, from the Wessex Region Federation of Small Businesses, said that employers would be forced toincrease their staff 's wages to

cover their parking costs.

She added: "Local authorities are continuing to give planning permission to out-of-town shopping facilities where parking is free - therefore driving customers out of city centres."

Chris Morris, vice-chairman of Southampton Council Tenants' and Residents' Association, which represents 18,000 council home dwellers in the city, said: "This does not make sense. How can they expect people to be able to afford council tax increases and new charges?

"The council are trying to get people out of deprivation but keep putting prices up. People can't get out of their situation."

Under the plans unveiled by the city council's Liberal Democrat administration, council tax would rise by 4.89 per cent. It would mean the cost of the tax on an average Band D property would rise from £1,016.77 to £1,066.52.

The plans will be discussed at Southampton's crunch budget meeting on February 16.