CHEAP parking permits operating in the former Caradon District Council are to be scrapped by Cornwall Council from April.

Motorists will face a 400% rise in parking charges when the discounted 5p first hour rate is replaced by the standard fee of 20p.

The residents' parking card scheme has been in existence for some time in the former Caradon and Restormel districts and was introduced to encourage people to shop in town centres.

Cornwall Council's cabinet members voted to axe the scheme to save money, but said there should be a freeze on the 20p first hour parking charge, while all other charges are set to rise by 5%.

Council representatives from Liskeard and Looe were against the move, calling it 'criminal', but Cornwall councillor for Callington, Andrew Long, was in support.

'If we're going to have a parking policy for the county we can't have some residents having a benefit which others don't,' he said.