Oswestry free parking plea rejected
Thursday 9th December 2010, 11:29AM GMT.
A plea made by Oswestry traders for a week of free parking to boost last- minute Christmas sales has been rejected by town councillors.
Chamber of Commerce bosses asked the town council to lift charges on the Central Car Park for the week before Christmas.
But town councillors last night refused the request amid fears the move would backfire and actually damage festive takings.
The plea came in an e-mail from Oswestry Chamber of Commerce chairman Yossi Gliksman.
Mr Gliksman said: “Most retailers are expected to achieve approximately 30 per cent of their annual turnover during the next four to five weeks.
“I would like to ask you to consider granting one week of free parking on the Central Car Park.
“I understand that such a concession will be very costly to the town council but on behalf of our members we would like to thank you for such a big contribution which will no doubt encourage people to do their last minute Christmas shopping here in Oswestry.
“The week requested is the week commencing December 20.”
But Councillor Bill Benyon said he “strongly opposed” the move.
He said in previous years the festive free parking offer was abused by workers who simply left their cars in the town centre car parks all day, blocking up the spaces.
Councillor Benyon said: “Based on our previous experience, we had the exact opposite and free parking drove shoppers away.”
Councillor Martin Bennett said the chamber had not given the council feedback on the success of last year’s free parking offer, which saw charges lifted on various days.
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Did it not occur to councillers to impose a time limit and then fine drivers who choose to ignore it?
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and how would that work – staff making a list of registration numbers and cross checking them?
Set a limit for how long? 2 hours, four hours?
The pay and display system at least gives you a ticket that can be checked for time spent on the car park.
The chamber should have sorted this out months ago but was coming at the last minute – and as the story points out, did not supply the information they were asked for to verify if the free parking offered last year actually did what it said on the tin!
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Get a Blue Badge they issue them like confetti in Shrewsbury. You can park free on the street even if you have got a Merc or a Rolls.
Shrewsbury Council is loosing thousands due to this farce.
Why do they allow this to go on ? Votes of course
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Ok then, Oswestry gets a miss from me this year.
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