CAR parking charges in Bury town centre have gone up again this week.

However, those who park for only a short time will see no increase under the council's annual review of charges.

In car parks, rates remain the same for a stay of less than two hours, but rise by 10p for longer stays.

Similarly, fares for on-street parking are unchanged for a 30-minute stop, but go up 10p for a stay of one or two hours. There are some exceptions, with no extra charges for those who park up to two hours in zones A, D and E.

Councillor Julie Higson, executive member for transport and the environment, said: "We are keen to encourage people to consider alternative forms of transport. They can leave their cars at home, helping to improve the environment and not clogging up our car parks.

"When we introduced this policy, there were claims that it would drive shoppers away from the centre of Bury, but that has not proved to be the case. While there is a need to balance all that we do, we feel that we have got things right. We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation."