'We have to say enough is enough' - Ludlow businesses hit back at parking charges
Businesses in Ludlow have hit back at new car park charges that will come into force next month.
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On-street parking in the band 2 “red zone” areas of the town will go up to £2.80 an hour from November 3, which includes Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Shropshire Council say the increases – which are coming into force in many towns in the county – are necessary to provide additional revenue.
It will be the first increase since 2022, with the authority saying that the additional money will be directly reinvested into maintenance and improvements to transport services and support local road improvements.
One of the streets that will see a significant increase in parking is Mill Street, Ludlow, which will go up to £2.80 an hour, an increase of 80p.
“Most of my competitors, like in the Cotswolds, have an hour free in the town for the locals to do their shopping, and if you’re a tourist, you pay the money because you’re staying a bit longer,” said Glenn Rowles, who has an art gallery in Mill Street.
“But why has this street got to be any more expensive than the others? When they close off the road when there’s events on at the castle, it kills off my trade. I’m not moaning about it, because we can’t do without them, but it’s another reason why I’m getting nobody in.
“And now they want to put the charge up again. I don’t understand it.
“Most of my customers have ended up with a ticket. Sometimes I’ve had a customer come to pick something up, and whey they’ve gone back to the car, they’ve had a ticket. There should be a 10 minute grace period, but the traffic warden told me it’s only five.
“All I say is we should have a free hour for the locals to be able to go and do their shopping, and I don’t see why I have to pay more on this street than any other.”
Wendy Woodward, who runs a cheese stall at Ludlow Market, believes the lack of parking in the town is already problematic, so the increases will put off locals even more.
“When they took the town hall down, why did they fill it in instead of making it into a car park?” she asked.
“And we’ve always said to get a multi-storey in.”
The proposed charges were discussed at Ludlow Town Council’s meeting on Monday (October 20).
Mark Wiggin, who owns an estate agents in Bull Ring, told councillors that when he in Salisbury, parking charges were stopped for six months following the 2018 nerve agent attack to boost the local economy.
“It went from a car park completely empty to a car park completely full,”said Mr Wiggin.
“Three pounds to a many people is a lot of money. We have to make this town attractive for people to come to.
“I am trying to sell this town to people, and we are going backwards and are a town in decline. We have to say, ‘enough is enough’.”
Councillor Tim Gill said he had been told that Ludlow “had been lumped with Shrewsbury, and it was a done deal.”
Councillor Katherine Howell added that the town “was being penalised”, and the increases “are unfair.”
“We’ve heard about being a satellite town to Shrewsbury,” said Councillor Ian Scott Bell.
“We’re clearly being targeted.”
Councillor Pete Addis added: “High streets are struggling everywhere in the country. £2.80 an hour is too much.”
Members voted to ask for the bands to be lowered.
Shropshire Council has been approached for comment.
