Scrap parking fees plea to boost Wem trade

A shopkeeper today called on council chiefs to scrap parking charges in a Shropshire town after new Government plans were unveiled to help struggling high streets.

Councillor John Murray, who owns two shops in Wem, said he feared car parking charges had led to people staying away from the town.

He said he wanted Wem to be free of charges after hearing calls by Communities Minister Eric Pickles for more people to shop in their local centres and for civic leaders to cut parking fees.

Councillor Murray, who is a member of Wem Town Council, said: "I am calling on Shropshire Council to scrap the fees in light of the recent economic downturn and the lack of trade in the town.

"I am a shopkeeper and I would like to see the parking charges stopped for about 12 months to two years until the economic climate improves.

"The car parking is one of the things that is killing Wem. Our takings are all down. It is not just the car parking but that has a major effect on it.

"People are not staying because they have a parking ticket on their car."

Mr Pickles said a new draft national planning policy framework, being consulted on and which calls on councils "to recognise town centres as the heart of their communities", could eliminate anti-car restrictions introduced in 2001 and give high streets a boost.

Shropshire Council officials said it had introduced new charges in some car parks, including those in Ellesmere and Market Drayton, from April 1.

Councillor Simon Jones, cabinet member for parking, said: "It's free to park in High Street and Leek Street car parks for an hour and it's only 10p for up to two hours in all town centre car parks in Wem.

"I appreciate parking charges are never going to be popular but the recently adopted parking strategy was aimed as making charges fair across the county."

By Chrissy Symmons