PARKING charges in Reading's council-owned car parks are set to soar, with some fees doubling.

Opposition councillors have slammed the rises and demanded they be reviewed but transport leader Cllr Tony Page said its parking contractor NCP requested the increases and that it would be "daft" to reject them.

His Tory opponent Cllr Richard Willis said: "I'm horrified that Labour are

trying to sneak through such big changes in the charging regime without any consultation or scrutiny. To seek to get this through under our noses is unacceptable."

There is a 25% hike at Broad Street Mall, Queens Road and the Civic Centre for short stays, up to £1.50 for an hour, £3 for two hours and £4.50 for three hours. There is also an increase from £5 to £6 for four hours' parking and charges for longer stays are being standardised, meaning long-stay prices will go up at Queens Road but will fall at the Mall and Civic Centre.

Short-term charges at Kings Meadow, Hills Meadow and the Cattle Market are frozen, but a new £5 charge will apply to stays of over four hours, and a £12 charge for more than six hours - double the current price.

Reading Borough Council said it wants to harmonise often confusing tariffs across the car parks so charges are falling in some cases, such as two or more hours stays at Chester Street in Caversham. But it wants a 30p charge for very short stays there - previously free - and to bring in charges at Dunstall Close and Recreation Road shopper car parks in Tilehurst to deter all-day commuters.

Lib Dem Cllr Ricky Duveen said: "This decision to charge everyone who uses the car parks, even if they only park for a few minutes to use a cash machine or buy a paper, is a nonsense. Tilehurst residents will not support it."

Cllr Page said: "There have been no increases since 2006 but improvement works have been done which have to be paid for. NCP is very much in the driving seat and it would be daft to reject the charges, bearing in mind our contract with them. I don't think these are unreasonable increases."

Three Conservative councillors have 'called in' the proposal, forcing it to be debated in public at Monday's Cabinet meeting, at 6.30pm in the Civic Offices. The debate might then be pushed on to the Tory-chaired Corporate, Community and External Affairs scrutiny panel meeting on Wednesday evening at 6.30pm.