Letter: Parking fees are hurting Shrewsbury
Tuesday 14th June 2011, 6:00AM BST.
Letter: Before Mr Jones starts defending the car parking charges in Shrewsbury could I ask him to look first at the harsh realities of the situation?
Increasing car parking charges by 60p, represents an increase of just under 25 per cent and is nowhere near the current level of inflation.
Since car parking charges went up, the number of cars using the car parks has fallen dramatically, producing less revenue for the council.
The lack of visitors to town not only affects local traders, but also the number of people prepared to travel in to use council facilities, again producing less income for essential services.
Shrewsbury town centre is also an essential service and I would be more than happy to discuss this matter further with Mr Jones.
Ian Peake
Shrewsbury
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I would like to know exactly, penny for penny, where the money goes from car parking charges. Or is it just another stealth tax to top up the council’s budget deficit?
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For the up keep of the car parks mmmm, more to all this than meets the eye I think.
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More like propping up their pension deficit…
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‘Since car parking charges went up, the number of cars using the car parks has fallen dramatically’
Is that a predicted guess or do you know this for fact?
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One of my parents works for shrewsbury car parks and has said that there has been no noticeable fall in visitor numbers. The only variance is seasonal. This is traders scaremongering again, as they seem incapable of accepting that there may be other reasons why people aren’t walking through their doors – prices, recession, service, etc
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Or the parent is towing the employers line in these uncertain times.
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I don’t think so, she’s got no reason to lie to her own child about it?
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Well some one is, going on todays news 12%down with regards town car parks.
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Monkey is correct. Given that there is now now charging after 6pm this means:-
2 x 30 days = 60 hours less parking data across each os the Towns car parks (ie more than the 1200 car reduction reported)! This is confirmed by the INCREASE in parking revenue.
This is a non story?
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And do you all think one caused the other?
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Shrewsbury has bigger problems than car parking fees. The towns planners are it’s worst enemy, then the gutless Councillors hellbent on over developing and over populating, and then we can get down to parking in my humble opinion. Afterall the more newbuilds the more cars the more traffic the greater upkeep the higher the fees, and if they do keep on with their ‘ plot of greenfield for sale here’ and ’20 new apartment blocks’ there, no one will want to come to our town anymore.
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totally agree, more houses, more traffic, more cars to park. Lets buck the totally unjustifiable trend and shrink shrewsbury, so that in a few years we can all be proud of the picturesque market town. Or create another souless hovel like telford. Growth is not always a good thing, it may create more jobs temporarily but brings more problems further down the line. STOP SPOILING SHREWSBURY
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dosent matter what you say they do what they want need to get together and do something before it gets out hand. or just pack up and leave town move on to somewhere people want the traders
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Iron Flag and darel. At least there are three of us singing from the same sheet.
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There is a logical flaw in your arguments called causation.
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over 20 vacant shops in the darwin centre,pridehill centre and the riverside centre combined speaks volumns. The town is dieing on its feet.
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rubbish, arrant nonsense. use the park and ride. shrewsbury town centre is for its residents, the disabled, buses and taxis,delivery vehicles and the emergency services only.visitors are most welcome and should be potty trained in all aspects of park and ride, a start can be made3 by installing toilets at all p and r. give visitors the right facilities and they will come again.
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Here’s what will hurt Shrewsbury – the cut of over 5% from council wages PLUS the hundreds of public sector jobs already slashed.
Oh yes, and there’ll be less tourists because of the savagery public sector workers are being hit by all over the country. Less jobs, higher pension contributions, frozen or cut wages – they all add up to less visitors.
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Just refuse to pay like what the scotish did with the pole tax if enough people follow suit no government can force bad law. why is there so few parking charges in telford ?
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