A Norfolk council is set to increase parking fees for the first time in eight years, with a charge introduced on Sundays for the first time. 

South Norfolk Council (SNC) is doubling how much it charges for some parking tickets as it looks for ways to make cash to cover refurbishment work.

The authority has kept fees static since 2016, while the initial price point of £1 has been unchanged since 2011. 

Now the starting price is set to double to £2 but drivers will get an extra hour of parking for their cash. 

SNC owns 17 car parks - eight in Diss, two in Harleston, two in Loddon, one in Long Stratton and four in Wymondham. Harleston and Long Stratton are operated separately and will remain free.

The charge at all car parks will stay free for the first hour.

But after this, it will be £2 for up to three hours, as opposed to £1 for two hours currently.

A ticket for four hours will be £5 for a short stay car park or £3 for a long stay. An all-day ticket will be £5. 

The Sunday parking fee will be £2 for more than one hour.

A report to SNC cabinet members ahead of a meeting next week said: “Members have previously agreed to maintain current charges, as small annual incremental charges would not effectively recover the cost of the legal order and signage required to implement minor changes. 

“A review would have been due in 2021/22, but was postponed until now, to allow residents and businesses to recover from the effects of Covid 19 and the lockdowns faced in our market towns.” 

The report said the increase in fees would “secure the financial sustainability of the service”, which is facing higher staffing costs and rising site maintenance needs. 

Resurfacing the 17 car parks is expected to cost £1.5m over 10 years. 

The increase will go before cabinet on Monday before final approval at a future meeting.