Council fumes as free parking call rejected

Shropshire Council has turned down a request from town councillors to relax charges for events such as the annual Sweet Pea Show and the carnival.

The news has been met with frustration from Wem Town Council which said the gesture would have encouraged more visitors to the events.

But Shropshire Council said the events themselves should be enough to attract visitors without additional 'parking promotions'.

The issue was discussed at last week's town council meeting where members agreed they would contact the county authority a month before each event to request free parking.

Councillor Peter Broomhall, mayor of Wem, said the council relaxed parking charges during the town's Christmas lights switch-on last year and members had hoped it would do the same for other events.

"The response wasn't very helpful," he said.

"A little help for towns like Wem would have been nice. I know people don't use the car parks out of principle."

Councillor John Murray, owner of the Treacle Mine cafe and sweet shop, said: "I am flabbergasted. The town is suffering. I think Shropshire Council should be investing in promoting tourism and further growth in the market towns especially during the summer months."

Councillor Murray said he felt visitor numbers had fallen since the introduction of the charges.

But a letter from Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for parking, said: "Anecdotal evidence suggests that when the national Sweet Pea Show and carnival have been held in the past years the car parks have been full even though a charge is applicable.

"This suggests the event in itself is enough to attract people to the town without the requirement for additional parking promotions.

"For this reason and the ever increasing pressure on council budgets we are not in a position to offer free parking for the stated events."

Last year Shropshire Council's ruling cabinet confirmed free parking in north Shropshire towns would be scrapped.