‘New’ thinking needed on town centre parking

Local authorities should reconsider policies governing town centre parking.

The call was made by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) ahead of the local elections in England and Wales this May.

The FSB accused councils of using excessively high parking charges in order to raise revenue.

The effect, the FSB said, has been to deplete town centres as places of commerce and employment.

Short term revenue-raising by local authorities through draconian town centre parking laws, the FSB warned, would backfire in the long term as high street shops go out of business, and the wealth and employment they create is lost.

The FSB’s Small Business Manifesto for the local elections argues the case for sensible parking policies that encourage shoppers to use small independent shops on the high street.

Roger Culcheth, the FSB’s local government chairman, said: “Every town is different and you can’t impose exactly the same parking policies everywhere. But local authorities should come up with a set of criteria for parking policies that encourage shoppers into town centres rather than turning them away.

“Although parking restrictions can raise a lot of cash in the short term, they can be extremely damaging to local economies and ultimately counter-productive, as shops in town centres begin to close.”

Mr Culceth added: “Spiralling town centre parking costs and huge fines must be done away with permanently. The local elections in England and Wales are a perfect opportunity for local authorities to show their commitment to the town centres they have so much influence over.”

Date:25 April 2008