RE-THINK ON CAR PARK PRICES

News that Wiltshire Council is to review its car park charges in the light of protests from businesses across the county has been welcomed by the boss of Trowbridge’s largest shopping centre.

John Grinnell, who is manager of The Shires, has backed town shopkeepers and other traders who have called on the council to re-think its charging policy.

A council review will be carried out in November, with a year-on-year analysis of the number of cars using the county car parks and the amount of revenue they generate. It will reveal how the car parks have fared compared to last year, before the increases came into force in April.

The potential U-turn follows pressure from businesses who say the increases are having a detrimental effect on trade.

Mr  Grinnell said he supported the cabinet member for transport Cllr Dick Tonge, who said: “You only need to look at the economic situation to see people have less money and are being more careful about their spending.”

He said there had been less use of the council-run car parks but Mr Grinnell said The Shires’ own car park was still extremely popular with its charging policy of only 30p for the first hour, 50p for up to two hours and 80p for up to three hours.

He said these compared very favourably with prices in Bath for example where charges range from 60p for 30 minutes in Kingsmead Square, Saw Close and Broad Street, 80p in Claverton Street, £2.80 for up to two hours in Avon Street/Manvers Street and £4 for up to four hours in Charlotte Street.

Mr Grinnell said: “An increase in parking charges not only impacts on shoppers but also on employees who work in the town. Times are challenging enough without expecting people to dig deeper and if we want to encourage more retail spend in Trowbridge, then keeping parking charges down is one way to encourage people from the larger towns and cities to shop in Trowbridge.”

He said The Shires had tried to keep its car parking charges to reasonable levels and felt it was one reason that footfall in the shopping centre had been maintained, with the number of visitors  fairly consistent at 120,000 a week.

Among the suggestions being considered by Wiltshire Council is the idea of a county-wide cashback redemption scheme, in which shoppers could have their parking costs refunded when they spend in participating stores.