Shropshire parking fee freeze gets mixed reaction

Plans to freeze parking charges during the coming year in Shropshire have been met with a mixed reaction.

Shropshire Council has decided to reverse its decision to increase the fees on an annual basis in a bid to encourage more shoppers into struggling town centres.

Councillors agreed in December 2010 that all discretionary fees and charges would go up by inflation plus four per cent on a yearly basis.

But at the council's cabinet meeting yesterday members agreed charges should be frozen for 2012/13 at 2011/12 levels in an effort to assist local retailers.

Charges were introduced in Wem, Ellesmere and Whitchurch last year. They were met with anger from some traders who felt they were causing shoppers to stay away.

The freezing of charges has been largely welcomed by councillors and business leaders in the towns – but many said they would rather see them scrapped.

Councillor John Murray, of Wem Town Council and owner of the Treacle Mine shop, said: "It's good news for major places like Shrewsbury, but doesn't help Wem.

"They should remove the charges altogether. They may be freezing parking ch- arges, but they are increasing lots of other things."

Therese Hickland, chairman of Whitchurch Chamber of Trade, said: "We welcome plans to freeze parking charges, but the fact they are there in the first place is still something that we believe is having an adverse affect.

"With the amount of cars using the car parks it is difficult to see how they are getting an income."

Lincoln McMullan, chairman of Ellesmere Chamber of Commerce, said: "I am delighted the fees have been frozen, but I am disappointed that they were even thinking about increasing them in the first place.

Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow said it had taken into account people's views of the charges, bearing in mind the economic climate.