Parking charges could be cut on certain days of the week in Shrewsbury to help boost trade instead of free parking being introduced on Sundays.Council bosses in the town had been asked to draw up a report about the potential of free parking being introduced on Sundays to boost trade in the town.
But today Andy Goldsmith, assistant council manager of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said there was no evidence to suggest parking should be free on Sundays.
He said the move would cost the council more than £100,000 in lost revenue and he was now in talks with business groups to get their views to see whether instead of introducing free parking on one day of the week, the income could be reinvested elsewhere.
No decision has yet been made, but Mr Goldsmith said two possible outcomes for how the money could be reinvested included reduced parking charges on certain days of the week or investment in the town centre.
Mr Goldsmith said: “I’m doing a lot of consultation asking Retailers United and the business forum what their views are on parking charges.
“I don’t know what evidential base there is to say it should be free on Sunday. There would be a cost to the borough council to have free parking and we’re working that out but it would be more than £100,000.
“We’re looking at whether it would be better to invest that in providing a reduced tariff on other days of the week, to invest it in the town centre or to deal with it some other different way.”
Simon Airey, chairman of Shrewsbury Business Chamber, said free parking on a Sunday and a reduced rate during the week both had benefits and drawbacks.
He said: “My own view is that to benefit the town as a whole a reduction in car parking charges across the board would by psychologically a real boost to the town and would go quite a long way to boosting trade in the town.
“The only drawback I could see with that is it may be shortlived.”
By John Kirk
6 Comments
Ah! So the Council have finally woken up and smelt the coffee! They now admit that attracting more cars to the town centre, yes, would BOOST TRADE!! I think it might take a wee bit more than free or reduced parking to attract all the people back, they have now abandoned Shrewsbury in favour of Telford.
Too little, too late, the damage has been done.
Too little, too late.
As the late great Sir John Harvey-Jones said during his ‘Troubleshooters’ series visit to Shrewsbury ‘a pretty town with huge potential but sadly run by a local authority that would be better employed litter picking at a garden fete.’ Things haven’t changed a jot.
May I ask a simple question?
Do all Borough Council employees pay for their parking in Shrewsbury town centre whilst at work at it’s offices? And if this question is answered by a spokesman from SABC (which |I suspect it won’t be) I suggest that whoever it is is TRUTHFUL with the answer or SABC may have a great deal of egg on it’s face.
Why can’t car parking be free in the town when there is no public transport in Shrewsbury on this day? No buses or park & ride mean there is no option if you want to shop, swim or use the quarry on a Sunday.
And so we are waiting for an answer from Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council concerning my previous comment in which I ask if staff there have free parking facilities in Shrewsbury town centre whilst at work in the council offices.
Well we need wait no longer because a VERY reliable and senior member of SABC staff leaks to me that they do.
Rich eh when staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital have to pay £120 a year to park?