Businesses fear 'short-sighted' parking charge hike will deter people from visiting Shrewsbury
Hikes in car parking charges in Shrewsbury have sparked major concern from the town's business community.
Shropshire Council is proposing a series of increases in the cost of car parking across the county.
Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID), which represents the county town's businesses, has responded to the proposal by revealing "significant concerns" for what it says will be substantial changes to car parking charges in Shrewsbury.
The plans, which include significant price increases of between 29 per cent and 67 per cent in all but one of the town's council-owned car parks, were disclosed to Shrewsbury BID shortly before their public release yesterday, with the organisation saying it was left with "little room for consultation or discussion".
Seb Slater, Shrewsbury BID’s executive director, said: “We are very concerned about the impact these proposed increases will have on regular visitors to the town and the local economy.
"The proposed extension of charging hours until 8pm and the reduction of Sunday parking offers pose a threat to the town’s evening and Sunday economies.
"The impact on town centre workers is also of real concern. Under the new scheme, a worker currently paying £4.80 for parking at Abbey Foregate all day will now face a daily charge of £8, with season tickets also set to increase by up to 67 per cent.
"We are now engaging with town centre businesses on this issue and Shrewsbury BID will be actively lobbying Shropshire Council to reconsider the proposed charge changes, as well as seeking firm commitments for investment in sustainable alternatives for people to access the town centre.”
Deborah Carvell, owner of Carvell on the Square, Carvell Lingerie and Swimwear and soon-to-be-opened Deja Vu, said: “As the owner of multiple independent businesses in Shrewsbury, I'm incredibly concerned about the impact of these proposals.
"These price hikes threaten to deter people from visiting the town centre, will be hugely challenging for Shrewsbury workers from across the county and will undoubtedly threatens the vitality of our economy.
"Such steep price increases seem short-sighted, and the council must surely reconsider these proposals and engage in meaningful dialogue with local businesses to consider the broader impact.”
A statement from the BID quoted "the manager of a prominent national retailer in Shrewsbury", who said the proposed increases would hugely impact on recruitment.
He said: “Many of our workers are part-time and a season ticket is just not cost-effective for them. Park & Ride isn't reliable and does not run late enough for many of our workers. Increasing charges from £4.80 a day to £8 a day in the town’s cheapest car park will cut further into earnings and make recruitment even more challenging.”
Shrewsbury BID is asking businesses to share their views though a dedicated survey, which can be completed by visiting shrewsbury.typeform.com/to/wO0Fb5dl.
The organisation said the data gathered from the survey will be used to support its lobbying efforts ahead of the Shropshire Council Cabinet meeting, due to take place next Wednesday, January 17.
