PARKING charges will rise and up to 200 spaces face the axe if radical proposals for Basingstoke's council-owned town centre car parks get the go-ahead.

The plans are included in a newly-published parking blueprint, which also suggests that disabled people should now pay to park at council-owned sites.

A public consultation on the proposed changes has been launched by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. Leaders are seeking views on various proposals including:

increasing parking fees in council-owned car parks - especially longer-stay parking rates

doubling the number of disabled parking spaces to 90

introducing pay-and-display charging in Eastrop Lane and Chequers Road

making drivers pay a flat fee for Sunday and evening parking in all council-owned car parks

"consolidating" Castons Yard (126 spaces) and Southern Road car parks (103) in a single multi-storey structure

redeveloping Central car park for housing so that it has 50 spaces instead of the current 138

closing 34-space Brinkletts car park on Winchester Road for redevelopment

installing new ticket machines, similar to those in Festival Place, at the 600-space Alencon Link car park near The Anvil

closing all, or part of, Churchill Way and Churchill Way East car parks with the loss of 100 spaces.

The document says the aim is to reduce car usage, in line with Government policy, while keeping Basingstoke an attractive place.

But when asked about just how much parking charges will increase, council officers were unable to be specific.

Colin Thomson, head of environmental health, licensing and parking, said: "It is expected that the charges would increase in line with inflation and be competitive with Festival Place NCP and policies of neighbouring competing centres."

At the moment, the minimum council charge for parking up to one hour is 50p. At Festival Place, it costs 70p for one hour.

The recommendation in the document is that new town centre charges are set higher than Newbury and Guildford, but lower than Reading and Southampton.

The report says the borough council currently controls 1,891 of the 5,402 public off-street parking spaces in the town centre, plus the 158 spaces at the park-and-ride scheme in West Ham Leisure Park.

The possibility of closing up to 200 spaces is based on research carried out by Hampshire County Council's intelligent transport systems group.

This shows that each day an average of 174 spaces are empty in borough council-owned car parks.

The officers compiling the proposals say 720 spaces in Festival Place car park are left vacant each day and, on average, only 12 per cent of the spaces in the park-and-ride scheme are used.

The document also says that if losses in car parking spaces exceed 200 elsewhere, more spaces can be provided in the new multi-storey car park for Southern and Castons Yard car parks.

Borough council leader Cllr Brian Gurden urged local residents to put forward their views on the proposals, and stressed that no decisions had yet been made.

"We want to know what people think. We are not afraid of people saying, 'it's a crazy idea' and 'we shouldn't do it', because that will help us come to an informed decision," he said.

Cllr Gurden added it was not simply Government policy to reduce car use that was driving the proposals.

He said: "It's more a local issue in terms of what's best for Basingstoke and its people. We also have a medium to long-term agenda which envisages how Central car park and the car parks along New Road could be developed. These are bleak and not a good use of space.

"The vision is seeking to make New Road into a genuine road with buildings on either side. Part of that might be replacing existing car parks with a multi-storey.

"If the evidence suggests that in five years' time all the spaces will be taken up and needed, then we might as well not get rid of them."

Although Cllr Gurden said he did not, personally, like charging disabled people, members of the Basingstoke and Deane Access Group said they did not object to paying.

The consultation document says charging disabled motorists to park will discourage hogging of spaces and allow greater access.

Michael Howe, group treasurer, who is a wheelchair-user, said: "People have different views, but the majority don't mind.

"We campaign for equality after all. What we want are spaces with enough room at the side for us to get in and out of the vehicles."

The 17-page public consultation document can be accessed online via the council's website at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/parking/consultation 2004.asp

Printed copies are also available from the Civic Offices and Basingstoke Library or by telephoning 01256 845772.

Comments on the plans must be received by Basingstoke council's transport strategy team by October 17.

Views can be e-mailed to transport@basing stoke.gov.uk or can be posted to Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH.