REVISED charges for car parks in the Malvern Hills could be in place as soon as September after winning the unanimous backing of the district’s overview and scrutiny committee.

The proposed tariffs would cut the cost of parking for one hour in a short-stay car park from 60p to 50p, with an increase from £1.20 to £1.40 for two-hour stays.

Long-stay and season ticket prices would also be cut, although the cost of the annual two-hour residents’ parking permit would increase from £15 to £25.

Previous proposals, which would have seen larger increases in short-stay rates, were thrown out earlier this year following opposition from traders and residents.

But the new proposals stem from discussions with traders and Chris Marks, acting chairman of Great Malvern Association of Traders (GMAT), described them as “in general very positive”.

Mike Morgan, co-chairman of overview and scrutiny, said the proposals could be in place from September 1 if they receive similar support from executive committee and full council.