Letter: Parking fee rise will cripple us

Letter: With businesses in Shrewsbury struggling, I cannot understand how the Shropshire Council can put up the cost of car parking in Shrewsbury, except to feather its own nest.

James Walton, assistant director for strategy and business support, stated that careful consideration had been given, and they had consulted residents. How many did they consult?

There are more than 1,000 small businesses in Shrewsbury all fighting to stay alive, and this rip-off council wants to kill our lovely town.

The reason charges have not gone up in the last couple of years is because the borough council realised the economic situation and wanted to safeguard local businesses.

Shropshire Council is ripping off little shops and the general public because they are a soft touch. It has taken from the town council everything that makes money and a profit, including the car parks in the town.

When the unitary council took over it had, if I remember correctly, £30 million and most assets from the borough council.

It also had £3 million towards the Flax Mill and another £1 million for land around the area.

This was ring-fenced, so where is it?

Let the officers and Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for strategic transportation, come out and explain to everyone how they can justify car parking charges at the level they are about to charge.

Please let us have more talks before you put up the charges.

David Farmer

Shrewsbury