TRADERS and town and parish councils across the East Riding have been asked to consider funding ideas to extend free car parking to an hour.

Last week East Riding Council's long-awaited review of car parking recommended imposing charges in 15 council-run sites where motorists can currently park for free.

In a concession, the review panel said drivers should be allowed to park for free for an initial 30-minute period at the sites in Anlaby, Cottingham, Hessle, Pocklington, Stamford Bridge and Willerby.

It also called for any introduction of new-look charges to be deferred for at least two years because of the recession.

Now traders and town and parish councils have been invited to work with East Riding Council to see if funding could be found to extend the 30-minute period to a full hour.

Butcher Brian Fields, from Anlaby, who gathered thousands of signatures protesting against the charges, said he would be prepared to consider other proposals.

He said: "I would be glad to look at anything with the council to make sure that we can continue to have free parking in our villages.

"It is vital that we don't lose our shopping areas, and I would be prepared to consider any ideas put forward by the council."

The Mail's Park the Charges campaign saw traders and motorists come together to oppose the introduction of charges.

Councillor Matthew Grove, cabinet portfolio holder for highways, said the two-year delay in bringing in the charges allowed time for "local solutions" to be brought forward.

"I think the panel has gone as far as it can to treat the East Riding fairly and evenly.

"However, there are always opportunities over the next two years to allow input from communities to see if that half-hour period could be extended."

Cllr Grove: "It might be somewhere like Cottingham or Hessle can come up with some joint funding with local traders to make that happen. We are and always have been open to suggestions."

Panel chairman Councillor Felicity Temple said the current recommendations, which also include reductions in most existing short-stay parking charges, would not see the council break-even financially for another five years.

As a result, she said parish and town councils, together with traders' associations, would have to come up with extra funding to extend periods of free parking.