‘Sunday parking fees will drive away shoppers’

PARKING fees in town centres on a Sunday will kill the High Street and put people off visiting their town centres, say opponents of new charges introduced by Wiltshire Council.

A Liberal Democret-initiated petition has already had 1,200 signatures against Sunday and bank holiday charges, which will come into force on November 19. The petition needs 5,000 signatures to force the council to debate and vote on the issue at a full meeting in the new year.

Following a consultation filled out by 1,400 members of the public last year, the council approved plans to increase charges, introduce parking fees and push up season tickets.

Councillor Gavin Grant said: “Most people had no idea these car parking charges were in the pipeline. They are horrified that the council is bringing them in despite huge opposition. These charges are wrong. They will hit town centre residents and families. They go against all the work to keep our high streets alive and sustaining local jobs.”

Parking charges, including the introduction of Sunday parking, have been brought in to subsidise a £4.1 million black hole in public transport funding expenditure. The council says that higher charges will create £1.4 million in extra revenue. Speaking when the consultation results were published, Cllr Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Along with the increasing demand on our budget, we have introduced new charges to mitigate some service reductions.”

However, Cllr Ricky Rogers, leader of the Labour party for Wiltshire, said: “The extra revenue will never come to fruition. What it will do is drive people to the supermarkets and out-of-town shops where parking is free.”

The petition is at SignMe.org. uk/1485SignMe.org.uk/1485