Shop owners call for Nuneaton parking charges to be lowered

Controversial parking charges are threatening the future of Nuneaton's businesses, according to the town's shop owners.

A petition has been started by retailers in Nuneaton town centre ^[1] calling for the prices of parking to be lowered.

As more and more shops are left empty, businesses are fearing for their livelihood, and they feel parking costs are driving shoppers elsewhere.

"The town has been struggling, after 1.30pm or 2pm it's dead, but the rise in car parking charges has been the final nail in the coffin," one of the shop owners said. "Marks and Spencer left, the Co-op closed and now the town is dying.

"Everyone is moaning about the car parking charges, I know so many people that go to Fosse Park, Tamworth, Coventry ^[2] or Hinckley now, they don't want to come to Nuneaton and have to pay so much.

"So many of us are struggling, I am struggling to pay staff wages, I have a small family and am on the brink of closing, it is that bad."

The car park behind Nuneaton Town Hall

A meeting is due to be held on Thursday morning at 8am to start the ball rolling on the feasibility study into whether a Business Improvement District (BID) is started in the town centre, but some shop owners think it is too late.

"There are so many meetings, but nothing ever happens, nothing ever comes of them," the angry shop owner added.

"We can't wait around for things to happen, we need something now, that is why we have started the petition. We need the council to know just how bad it is in the town centre. We need the council to change the car parking, maybe make one or two hours free on market days, anything to help us out."

In the first four months since the introduction of the new fees ^[3] , which includes a controversial increase after one hour, the number of people using Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council ^[4] car parks in the town centres have fallen by seven per cent.

But Coun Danny Aldington, cabinet member for planning and development at the Town Hall, is adamant that the charges are similar to those in neighbouring authorities and are good value when CCTV coverage ^[5] and lighting is taken into account.

"Our car parking charges are kept under regular review and we take full account of any comments or suggestions that are put forward in that respect," he said.

"We're always mindful to keep our car park charges competitive locally, while maintaining the excellent standards our customers have come to expect. Our borough car parks are among the best in the UK, with the majority having Park Mark accreditation, the benefit of CCTV, good lighting and patrols by trained civil enforcement officers.

"Prior to this year, there was no change to parking charges for more than four years even though the cost of maintaining these award-winning standards increased in real terms. Our current charges are similar to those charged by other local towns and it still costs just £1 to park for one hour."