'People just park where they want to': Shropshire market traders back new signs but vent frustrations over motorists
Traders shared their feelings over how inconsiderate parking has affected their work
Market traders were at their wits’ end telling motorists: “You can’t park there mate!”
But stallholders at Ludlow Market have now backed new parking restrictions which have been put in to stop drivers dumping their cars on their plots.
Traders said they were losing business because of this issue.
Vehicles are not allowed to park in the market square on market days, and now new signage has been installed telling motorists parking is prohibited, so traders can set up safely.
Stallholders spoke to the Shropshire Star, some glad of the changes but others still venting frustration over the issue.
Woodworker Robert Bird, of Niddry Design Ltd, said: “It's definitely needed. The amount of people that are coming to the market, there are days when you've got parked cars parked right up behind you, blocking the entrance ways and so on like that. It causes an obstruction.
“On a busy Saturday you'll see three or four cars just pull up and park and they go into the betting shop or do their quick shopping before they go - and it does cause a problem.”
Asked how often it’s causing them a problem, he said: “At the weekends; it's most weekends. You'll see people just park where they want to.
“They think it's their right sometimes, which is a shame because this time of year now, going forward, there's a lot of tourists coming in.
“You've got more and more footfall in the market and cars are getting in the way, and especially when they pull up, they have to reverse out and you've got a lot of people walking around.”
Anna Rose, from Anna Rose Vintage, is growing frustrated with the parking issue.
She said: “Nobody pays any attention at all. People are still parking and we're still finding it a real problem in the mornings to come and set up and get random cars parking all over the place, which often is a real problem.
“I think the problem is that we haven't really got sufficient signage, but some very small signs that have been put up on the lamp post.
“It's hard for people to understand, actually, where they can and can't park. So really we're not seeing any benefit.
“We're very grateful for this pitch that we've got here. It's a great market, and we're really privileged to be able to set up in this place. And I think when there's cars parked all over, it just kind of spoils the look of the market.”
Richard Bennett, of Afia Designs, said: “They prevent the public parking in the market area, where the people are trying to get into the market.
“And then of course, if they park in the market area, it prevents the traders themselves from being able to bring their vehicles to offload or load up in the daytime or in the morning or evening.”
Another trader, Erika Garner, said the signs are “very much needed”.
She said: “Market traders have been coming in the morning. Cars have been parked. They haven't been able to get their vans anywhere near the stall and it's caused a lot of disruption. And so I think absolutely it's needed for a long while, but it also needs to be enforced.”
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