The reasons behind an unpopular decision to raise the parking charges at Swanpool beach this week have been explained by the owners.

The parking fees have been doubled, but the owners say that they are now in line with other local car parks.

Esther Lochrie, director of Swanpool Beach Ltd said: "Putting prices up is never something we do lightly and we understand it was never going to be a popular decision.

"Our parking charges are in line with Falmouth town and Gylly beach car parks; £1.40 for up to an hour, £2.70 for 1-2 hours, £4 for 2-3 hours, £5.30 for 3-4 hours and £8 for 4-8 hours.

"We haven’t put our car park charges up in over three years.

"We’ve also just started using Just Park, so people can pay by card and they charge us a fee per transaction.

"The car park will remain free to use from the beginning of November to the end of March."

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The move has been met with anger by many and it has become a hot topic on social media.

One woman posted: "You will never guess, Swanpool car park has DOUBLED their fees!!! Where it was £4 all day, now it’s £8. They aren’t the only ones that’s had it bad during Covid, what about all the poor people furloughed or lost their jobs. Is that what they call profiteering?"

Another responded: "If they had increased by £1 then people would've supported them, but to double the price is disgusting. It's not like they're offering any extra service!"

Others are concerned about the effect this could have on parking in the area.

"Just means more people won't pay it and park on the road which is already a nightmare,they seriously need to put double yellows down there against the lake now or there is going to be a serious accident soon! Think about it, are they going to pay £8 to park or are they going to find a place around the lake that's free!?"

However, some have defended the decision on the basis of value for money.

One responded: "This isn't a bad price when you break it down, if you're at the beach for 7/8 hours, you're getting it around £1.15 per hour, I'd be happy to pay that as I don't go to the beach everyday. Most places charge more and also cost go up every year so it would have to be passed down."

Another person shared a similar view, posting: "You should come to Brighton, you’d be lucky to get change from £30."