DRIVERS using East Hampshire District Council owned car parks in Alton should be warned that as from today (Friday) parking fines have been increased by up to £90. While there will be no price increases in actual parking charges, those who fail to purchase a ticket or are late paying risk a hefty fine. As from today, the standard charge for EHDC car parking fines is to be managed in three stages. If a fine is paid within 14 days it will be discounted to £30. If paid within the next 14 days the charge will be £60. The new third stage will mean that within the following 14 days the offender will incur a charge of £90. EHDC car parks officer Selina Biddlecombe said: "The purpose of the change is to encourage people to pay earlier and to recoup the cost of cases the district council has to take to court." The increase in charges from £60 to £90 will give EHDC longer to pursue the money before sending in the bailiffs, with court proceedings a last resort. Motorists facing a charge will still have the right to appeal, if done within 14 days of receiving a ticket. If dismissed, the three- stage charging period will run from that time. Other changes in EHDC's new car parking order, which was due to come in today, are that large motor homes will now be allowed to park in Central and Causeway (Tesco) car parks in Petersfield, to enable drivers to shop locally. Large motor homes (those that take up more than one parking space) are not permitted, under the Car Parking Order, to park in any other car park, including those in Alton. Vehicles towing a caravan or trailer taking up two bays are allowed to park provided the driver pays for two tickets. While pay and display tickets, bought in either Causeway (Tesco) or Central car parks in Petersfield, are interchangeable between those two car parks only, to encourage shopping at Tesco and at other shops in the town, tickets bought at any other EHDC-owned car park, both in Alton and Petersfield, can only be used for the site at which they are purchased. The new car parking order also dictates that as from today, season tickets and residents' permits can be purchased at any time of year.