Traders deserve some cheer

Sir, – The issue of parking is a longstanding, emotive concern for businesses based in town and city centres right across Scotland but the new restrictions and charging introduced across Angus last month are not helping to boost local trade.

At the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) we have a long-standing interest in shaping public policy in all aspects of economic development, including parking strategies, and are disappointed to learn that Angus Council reintroduced charges without firstly carrying out a full economic assessment. Over the weeks we have seen local businesses across the county highlight the impact the charges have had on their business and the detrimental impact the policy has had on struggling high streets.

This week’s Scottish Government budget recognised the importance of our town centres with a new ringfenced £50 million Town Centre Diversification Fund for 2019-20 to drive local economic activity and to stimulate and support place based economic improvements to town centres.

The business community across Angus recognises that local council budgets are tight but with an annual enforcement cost of £500,000, without consideration of maintenance costs, and a predicted income of £700,000, is this policy worth pursuing for a marginal gain for the council’s budget?

Businesses through Angus Business and Retailers Association (ABRA) have not called

for the full removal of the charges, but are calling for the council to reconsider the charges and meet it in the middle with a period of free parking.

Is that too much to ask in this season of goodwill? David Groundwater. Development Manager, FSB.