Businesses vow to fight new parking charges (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Businesses vow to fight new parking charges

Corsham Chamber of Commerce has vowed to fight controversial new parking charges introduced into the town.

The charges were introduced by North Wiltshire District

Council which has now set a consultation period until December for comments on the changes.

President Ian Storey told the annual general meeting last Wednesday that members must use the consultation period to fight their case.

"We've got to argue the case for Corsham and the more support we have the stronger our argument will be," he said.

The Chamber of Commerce would like to see:

l Free parking increased from one to two hours to allow food shoppers to pop into other shops.

l Free parking for people who work in the town, who at present have to buy a £220 annual season ticket.

l The season ticket to be accepted in all short-term car parks in North Wiltshire.

l An increase in the number of car parking spaces in the town to cope with the growing population.

Mr Storey said: "As a result of a lot of pressure we managed to get a season ticket for £220, but we want to push it further than that. We are not satisfied.

"We thought North Wiltshire District Council was supposed to be supporting the local economy, but one hour isn't enough, it needs to be two."

The big concern lies with Somerfield, which does not own its car park, and people fear shoppers will ditch the store for free parking at Sainsbury's just a few miles down the road.

"If we let the main food shopping drift out of Corsham it would cause a lot of damage to the smaller shops," Mr Storey said.

"That's why we're pushing for two hours free so that people can do their food shopping and still have time to pop into town."

Mr Storey said the chamber will be speaking to shopkeepers and shoppers to assemble evidence.

"We need to find the best possible solution for Corsham and present that to the council," he said.

Managing director of CMS Bath Ltd Paul Coleman told the meeting that he had offered all his employees free parking in a bid to keep them at the High Street-based firm.

"We've secured 30 parking season tickets," he said. "But it's going to cost £8,000 a year.

It's a real problem for us. We have enough of a problem getting people to travel from Bath and Bristol."

Customers at Sunshine Travel have been asking for a petition to sign, and manager Karen Eason said she would be willing to reveal last October's takings compared to this year's to contribute to the evidence.

"I think it would show a big difference," she said.

"Now people haven't got time to come in and look at holidays and do their shopping.

"It's just madness. They've got empty shops they are trying to fill they're going to kill the town off."

Jenny Abbott of Frock Follies said the council didn't give employees a second thought.

Three of her workers lived in villages and as they didn't open until 10am all the parking spaces in side roads were often taken.

"I think we will see problems - but for the employees, not so much for the shoppers," she said.