‘Encouraging’ response to team’s plea for free parking
A MEMBER of the Ashbourne Town Team, which has made an impassioned plea for free parking in Ashbourne, says he is encouraged by Derbyshire Dales District Council response to the request.
The appeal was made in order to offset the pressures of the coronavirus on trade in the town.
Ashbourne Town Team has written to district council leader Garry Purdy to beg for an “exceptional response” and “fresh thinking” as the traders pick up the pieces of three months trading inactivity.
Albert Golding, of the volunteer-run town team, said: “Our chairman, Anne Wright, has had a response which indicates the district council has not shut us down on this. “It has come from district council leader Garry Purdy, who said “we have not closed on this matter and we are looking at options”. “The bottom line appears to be what the state of the district council’s finances are in after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“And it seems that much will depend on funding from the Government to local authorities. But I am encouraged that our request is still under consideration and see it as a positive response.”
In her original letter to the district council, Anne Wright said: “The district council has already taken a decision to suspend parking charges in its car parks during the Covid-19 crisis without the need for a comprehensive scoping review of car parking policy and practice.
“All we are asking is that it continues to provide free parking as our shops reopen and start trading fully.
“We have suggested September as a time to start recharging but any help would be much supported by the retail and business community in Ashbourne.”
Ashbourne Town Team has analysed the number of cars parking on Shaw Croft and found that the district council registered 844 tickets during the week from Monday, June 15 to Sunday, June 27. This was compared to 2,908 tickets in 2019 and 3,479 tickets in 2018.
A Derbyshire Dales District Council spokesman said the authority did not wish to comment further on the issue “at this stage”.