THEATRE fans, restaurant lovers and film buffs will have to pay £2.50 to park on city streets in the evenings under County Hall’s new charging regime.

The council is set to scrap free parking in the evening and on Sundays as part of its ongoing battle to balance the books and save £119m over the next four years. It estimates reintroducing charges will bring in £600,000 a year.

But critics say the scheme will be counter-productive and dent Oxford’s thriving night-time economy.

A flat rate of £2.50 will be charged on popular city centre streets such as St Giles and Broad Street in the evening, and Sunday charges will mirror current Saturday fees.

The council scrapped on-street parking charges in 2005 to boost the restaurant, museum and theatre trade.

But, subject to public consultation, it will reintroduce them from June.

Polly Cole, deputy director of the Oxford Playhouse in Beaumont Street, said many theatregoers parked for free before attending evening shows and the new charges would add to the cost of a night out.

She said: “Obviously, we cannot say for certain what impact it will have, but anything that discourages people to come into the city centre will not help the businesses here.

“It adds £2.50 on to people’s trip to the theatre, cinema or restaurant.”

The Playhouse is also set to get smaller grants from both the county and Oxford City Council next year.

Mrs Cole added: “This comes at a very difficult time for public funding, and equally, the general public have their own economic problems.”

She said she appreciated the need for the council to generate extra income but said the impact that the charges would have on the city’s night economy would make them counter-productive.

A pay-and-display machine will be installed in Beaumont Street, near the Randolph Hotel.

Steve Howell, Oxfordshire County Council's deputy director of environment and economy, said: “Charges had been in operation for many years in Oxford and we took them away in far brighter financial times in 2005.

“The financial climate has altered dramatically since then and the council has no choice but to propose reverting to the pre-2005 situation of having charges throughout the week rather than just in parts of it.”

He added: “I know that this will be unpopular with some people and popular with others.”

Consultation on the charges runs until March 24.