AN "early" review of car parking charges has been promised by the new leader of Malvern Hills District Council.

Figures released by the council show some of its car parks are hardly being used.

The two car parks on Newtown Road, which have 35 spaces, took a combined total of £2,970.23, or £84.86 per space in the last financial year.

In comparison, Grange Road car parks took £35,167.63, or £950.48 for each of their 37 spaces in 2002-3.

Latest available figures show the Link Top car parks are making a loss.

Machines and signage for the two car parks alone cost £8,635 and they are still nowhere near the predicted income of £5,500 a year.

Nearby businesses claim the charges have hit their trade.

Elsewhere, double yellow lines are about to be painted along one side of Victoria Road and Como Road.

The measures have been brought forward in response to complaints from residents and emergency services that cars parked along both sides of the road cause a dangerous obstacle.

However, there are two car parks on Victoria Road which took just £132.06 per space in the last financial year.

Coun Tom Wells said the council would re-examine its policy.

"We want to look at it, and we want to look at it early," he said. "We want to get cars off the road where we can."

He suggested a sliding scale of car parking charges could be introduced, adding that the council should be supporting traders in Link Top and Great Malvern and those who work in the town.

"On the face of it, it doesn't seem to make any sense," he said. "There's no point in having large car parks standing empty and loads of cars parking on the road."