Winchester residents could be hit with a massive rise in parking charges under plans announced by civic leaders in the city.

The costs of residents' permits could spiral by more than 80 per cent, while businesses could see their permits rise in price from £200 to £300 per year.

Winchester City Council says the increases are needed to cover the cost of issuing the permits and policing the system. However, residents and motoring groups have slammed the proposed increases as yet another tax imposition on those living and working in the city.

The changes being considered by the council would see the cost of a resident's permit rise from £15 to £25 for the first permit and £50 for each additional permit. Residents would also be worse off because currently they pay the lower fee for the first two permits, whereas under the new plans only the first permit would attract the cheaper fee, with the second and third costing £50 each.

Guest house permits would rise from £15 to £25, amenity permits, for organisations like charities, would go up from £10 to £15, with business permits increasing from £30 to £50 and from £200 to £300 depending on the type.

It is also being proposed by the cross-party Parking Review Group, which has come up with the new figures, to increase the cost of parking in the city's car parks by 10p an hour, though on-street, short-stay charges would stay the same at 30p per-half-hour.

Councillor Richard Knasel, WCC's economy and transport chief, said: "The on-street parking permits are currently being subsidised by other parking income.

"We will still be subsidising the first permit and the proposed increases will ensure that the scheme is self-funded in the future."

A spokesman for the authority added that the cost of the permits should reflect the scheme's cost to the council, and promised that money raised would be ploughed back into transport-related schemes.

The council says it issues about 7,750 residents' and visitors' permits each year and it costs £15 to issue a permit and deal with enquiries, and £25 to enforce the scheme.

However, residents we spoke to were highly critical of the council's policy.

Ian Ball, 28, a chef from Christchurch Road, Winchester, said: "This is simply outrageous and another case of the council trying to get more money at the expense of its taxpayers.

"If they say it costs £15 to issue a permit then why charge me £25 for one?"

Alan Weeks, chairman of the Winchester Residents' Association, said: "This would seem to be just another revenue-raising idea.

"Although we support the council covering its own management charges, if they are using these rises to increase revenue, then it is an imposition on taxpayers in the same way as raising local taxes would be."

A spokesman for the AA said any increases would be "a big disappointment for motorists in Winchester".

A final decision on the charges now rests with the city council's Cabinet, which meets on December 15.