PARKING charges within Tendring may be reviewed with the aim of getting more shoppers into town centres.

Carlo Guglielmi, the councillor responsible for renewal at Tendring Council, said he planned to ask for a report into the district’s parking charges and the revenues they bring in.

Speaking at a conference for small business owners, Mr Guglielmi also suggested more creative schemes could be introduce to reward and refund shoppers who had paid out on parking charges, such as refunding the parking fee when they make a purchase while in town.

But speaking after the meeting, he said he could not confirm whether the bill from such schemes would be footed by shop owners or by the council.

Parking was brought up several times by speakers and delegates at the Shopping for Success conference, aimed at small business owners in Tendring.

One delegate, who called for more to be done, believed charges were deterring some shoppers. He said: “If you have got a car, you go to the out-of-town centres.”

Speaker David Miles, secretary to the Essex Federation of Small Businesses, said: “So many councils see parking as a money grabbing exercise, rather than a service they should be providing to get people into the town centres.”

Mr Guglielmi said he was keen to open discussions with traders to discuss town centre parking.

But after the conference, he said it was too early to commit to any specific changes.