Motorists in Altrincham could face parking charges until 8pm and on Sundays under new proposals put forward by Trafford Council.
The changes form part of the council's draft budget for 2027/28, which aims to raise an additional £250,000 a year from parking charges across the borough.
The proposals include extending on-street charging hours in Altrincham, Sale and parts of Stretford, alongside revised tariffs for council-owned car parks, the introduction of Sunday charging and extended charging hours from 8am to 8pm.
In Altrincham, council-operated car parks include Regent Road and Oakfield Road, while nearby council car parks include Cecil Road, Victoria Road and Brown Street in Hale, and Balmoral Road and Baker Street in Timperley.
Currently, charges at these car parks generally apply between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, with parking free on Sundays.
On-street pay-and-display parking in Altrincham is currently charged between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
The proposed changes could therefore mean motorists paying to park during evenings and on Sundays for the first time, although the council has yet to confirm precisely which car parks and streets would be affected or what the revised tariffs would be.
The proposals could have implications for Altrincham's town centre businesses, particularly restaurants, bars and other venues that attract visitors during evenings and weekends.
The council says the changes are intended to better reflect parking demand, support town centre activity and improve the customer experience.
Its budget report also proposes introducing charges at Thorley Lane car park in Timperley, which is currently free.
A programme of pay-and-display machine replacements and software upgrades is planned for 2027, alongside a review of online and telephone payment options.
The report also reveals that the council intends to engage with Sainsbury's over proposed changes to the supermarket's parking tariffs, including the potential impact on parking demand and customer behaviour.
Subject to the necessary approvals and statutory processes, the parking changes are expected to come into effect in summer 2027.
The proposals are contained in the council's draft budget, which reveals an initial funding shortfall of £37.8 million for the next financial year.
Through a combination of savings, increased income and other financial measures, the council hopes to reduce that gap to £8.47 million.
It is also proposing a 4.99% increase in council tax from April 2027, following increases of 7.5% in each of the previous two years.
Despite its financial difficulties, the council says it intends to invest around £5 million in road repairs, more than £40 million in children's services and schools, and £17 million in leisure services.
Council leader Tom Ross said: "Although our finances remain under pressure we are committed to protecting jobs and frontline services and there are no plans for compulsory redundancies among staff.
"We will continue investing millions of pounds on repairing roads, and on our children's services and schools and on our leisure services, while also improving our town centres, building affordable home and providing services to vulnerable adults."
The council has required Exceptional Financial Support from the Government in each of the last two financial years, but finance chiefs hope to avoid needing it again.
Cllr Ross added: "We continue to deal with a structural deficit in our budget and we will continue our lobbying of the Government to help Trafford get a better deal in the future."
The draft budget will be considered by Trafford Council's Executive on Monday, with final budget proposals due to go before full Council in February 2027.
