Car parking restrictions lifted
Published: 02 August, 2011
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has removed centrally-imposed restrictions on how many car parking spaces can be provided in English town centres
The move was welcomed by the British Retail Consortium, providing councils don’t use extra spaces as a revenue raiser.
The BRC’s director of business and regulation, Tom Ironside, said: “Letting local authorities have the freedom to provide the parking facilities which will best support their town centres is the right thing to do. It never made sense to haveWhitehallinterfering in this issue.
“Accessibility is crucial to the success of town centres. Shoppers look for good transport connections and plenty of affordable parking. Councils should make use of this new freedom to provide more parking as quickly as possible in areas where it is needed – but it must be at the right price.
“It’s short-sighted to treat parking as a revenue raiser. High fees - which take advantage of shoppers - risk driving away business from town and city centres. Putting up parking charges may look like an easy option for cash-strapped councils but they shouldn’t be ignoring the wider impact on their communities and economies of the damage higher charges cause to town centres.
“The focus should be on attracting shoppers to the local high street, bringing in money and supporting jobs. Income raised from parking should be reinvested in high street improvements to help reinvigorate town centres and benefit the whole community.”
