Fears have been raised that Liskeard’s ‘struggling’ town centre will be damaged further if plans to overhaul Cornwall Council’s car park charges are approved.

Liskeard Cornwall Councillors Nick Craker and Jane Pascoe have voiced concern about the scheme.

Cornwall Council is proposing a new parking scheme for all its car parks across the county.

Cllr Craker says the plan would raise so many anomalies it could be damaging for market towns like Liskeard.

He said: “I don’t agree that dividing all the council’s car parks into three simple bands is the way to support Liskeard and its struggling town centre.

“What’s right for one town does not necessarily make it right for another.”

Cllr Pascoe said: “I have traded in Liskeard for over 40 years and know how much of a barrier to trade these parking charges can be.

“I think it’s important they recognise that Cornwall is a large rural county, and the council should be flexible in its approach to setting our parking tariffs.”

Concerns have already been raised that Liskeard has been getting a raw deal from Cornwall Council due to the state of its car parks in recent months. Many residents and visitors have complained that parking machines in the town are out of order, sometimes for months at a time, which has inevitably lost the council revenue.

A public consultation is being held on the proposals and the Cornwall Cabinet is due to make a decision on February 8.