Councils ought to increase charges for off-street parking, according to local government minister John Healey.

A rise in parking fees could add to the cost of motoring, which already includes road tax and car insurance.

Speaking to the Local Government Association, Mr Healey said currently just one in five councils were "using charging to their full potential", the Daily Telegraph reports.

By charging motorists more, councils could help in "reducing congestion, improving levels of health and exercise, encouraging the use of local shops".

However, John Wright, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said "excessive" parking charges is "killing town centres".

"We have found that where high streets are surviving there is free parking and the minister should be aware of this," he explained.

In related news, Ken Knott of United City, a group of businesses campaigning for a transport innovation fund for Manchester, recently said that the city was "bottom of the pile nationally when it comes to road congestion", Crain's Manchester Business reports.

Mr Knott said the fund was the only way the city could bring its transport network to the standards residents and business require.

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