THE costs of residents’ parking permits and pay-and-display tickets could rise if a new partnership to prevent councils losing money is set up.

Proposals are being considered for Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford councils to join forces with Chelmsford, Brentwood and Maldon councils to manage on-street parking collectively.

All six councils made significant losses in providing parking enforcement services last year, totalling more than £316,000, and it is hoped this can be turned into an annual profit of £4,000 through Parking Partnership South.

The deficit would be turned around by increasing resident permit charges in Basildon from £26 a year to up to £70 by 2016 and increasing on-street pay-and-display charges by three per cent each year from April 2012.

Proposals also include introducing new pay-and-display charges in car parks and repainting faded lines and fixing signs, which cannot currently be enforced due to their poor state, to increase opportunities to issue fines.

Castle Point and Rochford councils do not provide resident permits.

The responsibility for parking lies with Essex County Council, but has been delegated to district and borough authorities in recent years.

This arrangement is due to end on March 31, when the new partnership could come into force. Chelmsford Council has volunteered to lead the partnership, so parking staff and vehicles would be transferred to it from the other councils.

Basildon Council is reluctant to enter into the partnership, because it thinks upping permit charges would be unpopular.

The authority’s cabinet will discuss the proposals tomorrow.