£2 an hour to park in Chipping Sodbury?
Outraged shoppers recently rounded on Tory Councillor Melody Gall as she called for a £2 an hour parking charge for Chipping Sodbury.
In a meeting discussing how to tackle the all day parkers who block up most of the parking in Chipping Sodbury, Melody Gall, a Conservative Councillor on Sodbury Parish Council ,repeatedly urged the solution of charging for parking, suggesting £2 for an hour would discourage all day parking.
Chris Willmore, a Lib Dem Councillor from neighbouring Yate who frequently shops in Sodbury, branded the idea 'bonkers'. She said "It would also discourage shoppers - the very thing we need to encourage. The aim is to help bring trade into our shopping centres. Charging to shop in Sodbury would kill it. We need to get rid of the all day parkers, who are blocking up Chipping Sodbury so there is no space for the shoppers to park outside the shops, rather then punishing the shoppers."
Chris Willmore urged officials to convert more parking to 1 and 2 hour limits in Chipping Sodbury - so shoppers can park, rather than all day parking driving out custom. She added "If we don't do something, Chipping Sodbury High St will die as a shopping centre - and we need both Yate Shopping Centre and Chipping Sodbury to do well to provide local choice".
Surely the way to discourage all-day parkers without discouraging short-term shoppers and without alienating the public through outrageous parking charges is the use of free parking disks on which you display your time of arrival and can be penalised for staying over the time limit for the area
ReplyDeleteGood idea. This is the system that some parts of France have used. However it may require legal parking regulations - we'll raise this.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't however apply to the privately-owned Chippings, which are part of the parking in the main street. That would need the agreement of the landowners.
It's actually very simple.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in the High Street at one time for 10years and been a Trader for almost 20years.
Give residents a Parking Permit & and increase the areas of time limited parking. Four hours max would be good. (Give folks time to do their shopping and have a browse.)
Not difficult is it when some common sense is applied.
Could you also tell the Conservative candidate whose letter was published in the Gazette this week - that it was one of his party who proposed the parking charges.
Many Thanks.