Businesses Express Concerns Over New Parking Charges

Local businesses are expressing apprehension regarding the implementation of new parking fees in their town, coinciding with what is typically one of their busiest periods. These charges have been introduced by Cheshire East Council in several locations that previously offered complimentary car parking. In Alsager, Wendy Cotton, an employee at a womenswear retailer, reported a perceived decrease in customer traffic and voiced concerns that the new charges could “kill” businesses. Conversely, Mark Goldsmith, representing the council, stated that the authority was compelled to make “difficult decisions” in order to “keep the council afloat.” The council had approved the new parking charges in January, a decision that generated controversy. Protests occurred in towns like Sandbach, and also outside the council’s meeting in November when the charges received final approval. Ms. Cotton, associated with the retailer Wall Street, situated directly across from a car park in Alsager, observed that the area was considerably quieter than previously. She remarked, “There’s not the same footfall.” She further elaborated, “We’ve had a really good couple of weeks, this is our busy time, people are thinking of Christmas presents, something to wear for Christmas time. [The charges are] going to kill us.” Concurrently, Rose King, proprietor of Rose’s Refills – a store enabling customers to replenish containers with items such as dried fruits and nuts to minimize waste – speculated that the charges might affect Alsager but indicated a wait-and-see approach. Ms. King commented, “Personally, I think that we’re all going to stamp our feet and shout and moan about it for a little while but then I think the residents of Alsager will get on with it after a little while.” She added, “I’m just really hoping that my customers will keep loyal and stick with me.” She further stated that it was “never a good time of year” to implement such charges. “But this time of the year is particularly difficult because money’s tight for everybody,” she explained. Shoppers in Alsager also expressed varied opinions regarding the charges, with several individuals concerned that customers might opt to shop outside of town. One man asserted, “It’ll kill Alsager,” and suggested that the opening of a new supermarket on the town’s outskirts would draw people there. However, another shopper indicated that she considered the charges “fair enough.” She elaborated, “We’ve lived elsewhere and we’ve always had to pay for parking.” Councillor Goldsmith informed BBC Radio Stoke that the introduction of the charges was based on two rationales. He stated, “The previous system just wasn’t fair, we had some of the poorer towns in the borough that were paying the highest car parking charges and we had some of the richest towns where it was free.” He continued, “Secondly, we need to bring in more money for the council, we do have financial difficulties like a lot of councils. It has been a difficult decision to make and ultimately we have to keep the council afloat so we’ve had to take those difficult decisions. We want to give all the support we can to town centres, but we know that this isn’t the be all and end all.” For further updates, follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.