Town councils could be given the option of taking on some car parks if they don't want to see charges introduced, the deputy leader of Cheshire East has said.

The council is also looking at piloting a system of 'demand responsive parking charges' at a number of locations including the new multi-storey car park currently under construction in Crewe, as well as sites in Macclesfield and Wilmslow.

These are just two of the options which will be looked at as part of a review, which will be followed by public consultation in September.

The matter is due to be discussed at Thursday's (July 20) meeting of the highways and transport committee – but the report appears light on detail when it comes to which currently 'free' towns could become pay and display in the future and which others will see hikes in charges.

The 'demand responsive parking' isn't fully explained either.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked deputy leader Craig Browne, who chairs the highways committee, what the implications would be for towns where parking is currently free, such as Middlewich, Sandbach and Alsager.

Cllr Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) said: "At this stage it's a consultation and any number of proposals might come forward as part of that. For example, in towns like the ones you've just mentioned, the town councils might want to come forward and say we don't want charging in those areas or specific car parks within those areas, so we'll take the car parks on."

When asked if 'demand responsive parking charges' could result in a driver who arrives early and parks all day paying less than a driver who parks for a couple of hours during a busy lunchtime, Cllr Browne said: "It could mean that. It would be a technology based solution."

A press release from Cheshire East says the council is carrying out a review to understand how people are using car parks and how the service can respond to behaviour changes following the Covid pandemic.

Long-stay parking has reduced since the pandemic with more people working from home, meaning less income for the council at a time it has to fill a £20m funding gap either by reducing council services or increasing revenue.

Parking has been a thorn in the side of both the Conservatives, when they were in power, and more recently the Labour/Independent administration.

Most towns in the former Congleton borough – with the exception of Congleton – have free parking, whilst many towns in the former boroughs of Crewe & Nantwich and Macclesfield, charge. Across Cheshire East there are 64 pay and display car parks and 47 which are free to use.

In the press release, Cllr Browne said this latest parking review represents an opportunity to address legacy issues 'and ensure that we can apply our parking policies in a fair and consistent way while also supporting the council's wider aims and ambitions – especially reducing transport-related carbon emissions'.

A previous attempt by Labour and the Independents to introduce a new parking policy, which could have seen charges for the first time in Middlewich, Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Sandbach and other towns, was thrown out in September 2021 after the highways and transport committee voted by eight to five against the proposal to go out to public consultation on the charges.