ANGER over increases in parking charges in Marlow continues to grow with community leaders seeking answers from council chiefs.

David Pearce, president of Marlow and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, has written to Wycombe District Council asking if the extra money it will make from Marlows increases will go back into the town.

He said: If people in Marlow are paying extra for parking then I think that money should go back into improving facilities in the town.

A spokesman for Wycombe District Council confirmed that parking services are dealt with as a district-wide service and details of accounts for individual communities are not published.

The spokesman added: The excess of income over expenditure from parking is paid into the general rate fund and is used to support the council tax.

Parking charges in Marlow for half hour and one hour stays will remain the same but the increases are: 2 hours from 80p to £1 3 hours from £1.40 to £1.50 4 hours from 1.80 to £2 6 hours from £2.80 to £3 12 hours from £4.50 to £5 There will also be a £1 charge to park in the Court Garden car park after 7pm.

The Marlow Players and Marlow Amateur Operatic Society have said the charge could put off audiences from coming to see their productions.

In this weeks Marlow Matters on Page 5, community forum chairman John Fontannaz says everyone in the town should take up the scandalous charges.

He argues charges should go up not down to encourage consumers into Marlow and says that parking in the town costs more than anywhere else in the Wycombe District Council area.

The Wycombe District Council spokesman said: The charges in Marlow are either similar to High Wycombe or lower depending on the site and length of stay.

"Charges in Princes Risborough and Bourne End are lower than Marlow.