Car park charges 'will cause much ill feeling' (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Car park charges 'will cause much ill feeling'

Some of the motorists who are furious at the new parking charges, which are also being imposed on residents (17150/3)Controversial car parking charges introduced today will not ring the death knell for Wootton Bassett, says Carol O'Gorman.

From today motorists will have to pay to use the Borough Fields car park following North Wiltshire District Council's decision earlier in the year to impose the charges.

The decision has been met with sustained anger and frustration from local residents and traders who say it will have a shattering effect unless a comprehensive plan is drawn up for the whole town.

Wood Street resident Yvonne Burchell, 50, who works at Crumps butchers said: "It's absolutely disgusting. Residents haven't even been given permits to park outside their houses and it's going to cause absolute chaos.

"It's going to cost us a fortune and it's made me and my husband feel like we want to move out."

Fellow Wood Street resident Liz Norris, 52, who works as a carer at Ridgeway House, said: "It's totally unfair and they haven't come up with anything for the residents who have been using that car park. We've got two cars and my neighbour has got three cars and we just don't know what we're going to do."

Mrs Norris, who has started up a petition, added: "A lot of people are very angry about this and we feel that we haven't been consulted properly and I think it's going to cause a awful lot of ill feeling."

Wootton Bassett Town Mayor Chris Wannell said: "I'm very concerned about the fragile nature of the High Street and the impact this is going to have. We've already lost Don Saunders and the Aromatherapy shop and that does not bode well for the future.

"The simple reason is that the district council haven't dealt with it properly and it's just a matter of them making a grab for money."

Coun Wannell also fears the charges will have a huge impact on the town's other car parks including the doctor's surgery, the Church Hall and the Memorial Hall.

President of the town's chamber of commerce Brian Taylor expressed similar worries. He said: "There is a great deal of concern among traders especially coming as it does in the build up to Christmas. We produced a report showing the problems so there's no way the district council can say they don't know about them and they certainly haven't alleviated the fears that have been raised."

But yesterday the leader of North Wiltshire District Council Carol O'Gorman said the charges were there to help the town. She said: "In any vibrant economy it's essential that there is a good car parking strategy and that's what we're working on.

"Residents must realise that they need to protect their market towns and that's what we're doing by putting together an access and transport policy."

Coun O'Gorman said that they would be discussing where residents' parking was needed. However no scheme could be introduced until after talks with Wiltshire County Council which are currently planned for September 2006.