UPTON Town Council faces paying out more for its free car park after the government tripled its rateable value.

The Valuation Office Agency has increased Old Street car park's rateable value from £4,900 to £14,500 in its most recent business rates revaluation.

Upton's council, which owns the car park, will have to fork out an extra £163.40 in the first year of the rate increases.

It paid £2,371.60 in rates for the car park this year, but this rises to £2,535 for 2017/2018, starting April 1.

It is believed the rate increase for 2018/2019 will be low, with larger rises expected the year after.

The council does not know exactly how much more it will have to pay beyond the first year, as the rates will be phased in.

Cllr Tim Dance, mayor of Upton, said: "Our car park is a free car park and we are not making any money out of it.

"At the end of the day it's the rate payer who pays for it. The vast majority of people in town actually rarely use it [the car park].

"We need to decide on various options that are available. It hasn't really been discussed yet."

The rent rises will be introduced across the next five years, before the next increase in 2022.

The council expect the steeper rises to occur towards the tail-end of this five year period.

Some businesses in the town reportedly saw the biggest rates in 2015, five years after the increase.

Business rates were introduced in 1990, with properties being revalued every five years.

Rates apply to non-domestic properties and are paid to Malvern Hills District Council and the last revaluation took effect from April 1, 2010.

As Old Street car park is not owned by the district council, Upton Town Council will have to cover the cost.