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Article in the Evening Post 03/11/2010
A snippet from an article in the Evening Post
A snippet from an article in Left Lion
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In Mapperley and Arnold, pay and display schemes are already up and running with traders reporting a downturn in business since the introduction. However, with pressing environmental issues, such as the need to decrease traffic and congestion on the roads, could it be time to call time on free local parking? Perhaps we might like to consider how one of the major supermarkets would react were it also faced with such an embargo. Can any of us imagine Sainsbury, ASDA or Tesco rolling over and accepting such dictates from local councilors? Personally, I’m struggling to do so.
Instead, shoppers will vote with their wallets and purses. As trade dwindles and local shops close, those who used to walk into their local shops will find that their needs can no longer be met on their doorsteps. The only remaining option will be to take some form of transport to a supermarket, and who can accurately say how many people will opt for their cars? Therefore, in our auto obsessed society, the pay and display proposals may only serve to exacerbate congestion and road traffic issues. Meanwhile, supermarkets will be rubbing their avaricious paws together, whilst Nottingham City Council employees take trips to abroad to learn how best to promote business and trade in Nottingham, whilst smiling and telling you with a neighbourly wink “We’re on your side”.
Read the full article here
The chairman of PAGS presenting councillor Jon Collins with the full PAGS report regarding the many implications and concerns over the potential introduction of paid-parking in Sherwood.
Read about the meeting with the City Council
Your comments so far:
The following are comments made on the online survey forms, these are a direct duplication and do not necessarily represent the views of the parking Action Group, this is a sample selection, to view more please review the forum here. The introduction of a parking scheme in Sherwood will have a catastrophic affect on the trade of the local businesses; I am shocked that the council are even considering this course of action. Surly it is yet another money driven idea created by a money wasting organisation. I'm not saying that the parking charges will ever be welcomed, but if the Council were at least honest about it, there may not be quite such a violent reaction. If they said, "look, what with all that money invested in Iceland disappearing, and all the other things we're spending on, we're skint", people may be slightly less furious. Personally, I always get pretty annoyed when the authorities treat me like I'm an idiot and will beleive anything they say. I regularly visit family in Hall St and already there is an issue with parking and that will get increasingly worse if car parking charges were introduced. The street is already used as a rat run and a short cut up to Mapperley and therefore it would be more dangerous if the streets in sherwood were used as a free car park. I am finding it more and more irritating and quite dangerous that I am often unable to push my granddaughter's pushchair on the pavements as cars are parked on the pavements without leaving room for pedestriants to walk along. I live in Arnold and have already witnessed the same thing happening there and on Mapperley Plains - cars are causing tremendous hazards by parking on pavements on side streets to avoid paying parking fees, not to say the affect that charges have had on local business in both hese areas. I cannot help but conclude that the council is only out to make money at the the expense of small business in Sherwood and this will make life miserable for the residents who live in the side streets that will become free car parks! This is just another form of taxation. How can charging for parking help local businesses?? They are struggling enough already. I would support parking charges if the first 1-2 hours were free and with permits for residents and local workers. This would mean that 'park and ride' users would be paying. This is not about whether we are given 2 hours free parking or not, it is about the principle of ignoring the views of everyone in Sherwood and forcing in a terrible solution. The commuting survey is a sham, the results and assumptions made were really to con us into accepting a solution to a problem that we do not have in Sherwood. Commuting from Sherwood may be a problem caused by the Work Place parking levy but shoppers and traders in Sherwood should not be conned and penalised now because of a further problem. There are better solutions to the future problem than imposing fees, fines, meters, wardens, resident permits, traders licences and all the other costly paraphernalia that this farcical idea will bring. The trouble is that the people in the City Council do not believe us that it will cause job losses and business closures and by the time they listen it could be too late. I will definately not shop in Sherwood if parking charges are introduced. I simply cannot afford to pay to park which means I will be driven to use the larger supermarkets and this will kill local businesses! Think logically, there is no reasonable outcome from these actions. Imposing charges has negatively affected businesses in Arnold and they are campaigning to get the charges removed. Not being charged to park in Sherwood makes me feel welcomed and encourages me to go to Sherwood shops and restaurants rather than pay to go into the city. Although I live in Sherwood and often walk to the shops I also often use the shops when i am driving through on my way home from work. If I have to pay to shop in Sherwood then i would be more inclined to go to a supermarket instead especially if I was only going to be parking for a few minutes! Local businesses need all the help they can get in the current economic climate and introducing these parking charges will not help. Although I live near to the shops there are times when I need to carry heavy goods and therefore it is essential to be able to park I feel there is no need to introduce a parking charge. Sherwood is easy to get to and I have no problem parking when I do drive to shop there. We live and shop locally and value the range, choice and service provided in the local shops. In these difficult economic times it's hard to believe that this is in the best interest of Sherwood. In addition, we live in a residents parking scheme area and have 1 visitor permit. When more visitors drive to our house they use the free parking and this is a real bonus for us. Good luck with your campaign - we're on your side! I currently dirve into to the office due to the fact that I work out in the field and need my car for business. Coupled with this I only spend 2 days per week in the office adn the affect that this would have is that I would seek to spend less time in the office which would have an impact on the business as it would reduce my managment time Why would people park in Sherwood and commute to centre when there is a Park and Ride on the Forest Fields? Call me pessamistic (and I know we must all voice our objections), but I think that the Counciol have already decided to bring in parking charges and will not listen to the voice of the people most effected. I have no alternative but to drive to work as I live outside of the Nottingham Area and public transport is not a viable option I visit Sherwood 4/5 days a week to have a cup of coffee and occasional shopping. Charges drove me from Mapperley Top! Nuff said! Don't do it! No need for change. Sherwood is very handy and ideal for shopping! I think that the introduction of charges will kill the retail business in Sherwood and the already congested streets will be innundated with the cars of staff who work in Sherwood. The free parking is part of the attraction of working here. Good to see the local community fighting together. I believe that the charging for carparking in sherwood has been pushed by the new owners of the supermarket and have used the local council to push their view that commuters into nottingham were blocking the carpark (especially at christmas)Over the last 30 years of working in sherwood i have not found this to be a problem. I think the motivation is to have a consistent policy on car park charges across Nottingham, in readiness for the Parking Levy. If car parking charges are to be implemented then I think that businesses in Sherwood should be given a free permit to park in the car parks or that a very small yearly charge is made. I have worked in Sherwood for the last 20 years and have seen a gradual decline in the area. Many of the shops are charity shops now, will the volunteers be prepared to pay to park whilst they volunteer their services? this will lead to even the charity shops failing and the area will become a complete ghost town, made up of restaurants who are only patronised during the evenings when there are no parking charges anyway. Patients at the practice where I work will not only have the expensive dental charges - (which are levied by the government) to pay but will have to pay for the priviledge to park whilst they are being treated. The Areas of Arnold and Mapperley have suffered badly from the imposition of parking charges, and they were in a far better starting positiion than the business' in Sherwood. All in all I feel the introduction of Parking charges in the Sherwood Area will have disasterous consequenses for the neighborhood. If the car parking charges are introduced this will affect our business as our patient may change to a dentist where it is easier for them to park and not incurr charges, our patients also shop in sherwood when they come to the surgery, so this would have an inpact on the other local businesses. Our clients use this office because they dont want to travel into the City Centre. This office will lose business and could close. There has been a conveyancing practice here for over 20 years and we have a good reputation in the area. Personally I have worked in Sherwood for over 12 years and I know that my employer will not increase my wages to cover parking costs. I will seriously have to consider my position here. I live close to the shops if this action goes through it will be terrible on my street for residential parking and access If charges for parking were implimented I would not use the facilities as much and I shop in Sherwood at least 3 times a week doing weekly shopping picking up bits and having coffe and lunches at local businesses. I think that the car parking charges are unesisary and will contribute to already strained businesses in Sherwood. I think it will have an impact on community and feel that local peopel may choose to shop elsewhere. I have seen no evidence that people use Sherwood as a Park & Ride facility in order to shop elsewhere. Parking charges would see the main street deteriorate as businesses close and we would end up with nothing but fast food joints with ferral kids hanging around with nothing to do except cause trouble and intimidate potential customers. Free 2 hour parking would a simple system allowing shoppers to support local businesses. Local business people could apply for a permit to park all day. I am very disappointed to learn that Labour Councillors are showing such disregard for the views of those they should be representing. I feel that there is no appetite for such charges in the area and that should they be introduced it would be a blow to the community. We have already lost several businesses which served the community and I feel that our political representatives should be doing everything in their power to regenerate the area. If there is one issue that would sway me away from a labour vote in this election, it is this. Totally unnecessary and badly thoughtout. Jane Urquhart and Brian Parbutt are not representing the people they claim to. I am totally against parking charges in Sherwood. It will not help local business atall it will hinder them, I love shopping in Sherwood as I feel part of the community and feel very strongly that small local shops should be supported, so that big supermarket chains don't get all of the profits! Please do not impose this and force yet more local businesses out of action. Sherwood is a lovely local resource but will become run down and unpleasant if further businesses are forced out.
and not have to pay.
I live in Gedling Borough Council area and they have implented the exact same charge in car parks and less than a hand full of people use the car park. The side streets are therefore full of parked cars which then causes difficulties for passing traffic and an increase in accidents.
The decision to charge in car parks is another way to make more money and is totally unacceptable. The charges are forcing well established businesses to close down.
look at the impact on sainsbury car park in arnold now that charges have ben introduced. You cannot easily park so I now use that shop less.