Parking restrictions hitting crucial Christmas trade, warns business lobby group

9 December 2008

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The FPB is concerned that steep car parking charges and limited waiting times are keeping Christmas shoppers away from the UK's high streets. The FPB is calling on local authorities to relax parking restrictions in order to boost trade for struggling retailers during the key Christmas period.

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the total value of high street sales fell by 0.4% in November, compared to the same period in 2007. The slump follows a fall of 0.1% in year-on-year sales in October, making it the first back-to-back monthly decline in the 14-year history of the survey.

In 2006, long before the current economic downturn took hold, MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group warned that, with 2,000 closing every year, the majority of the UK's smaller retailers could disappear by 2015. The impact of credit restrictions on consumer spending since then has taken its toll on retail trade, but many of the FPB's members believe that footfall is being further reduced by parking restrictions.

"Restrictions to trade at this important time of the year are last thing that struggling small retailers need," said the FPB's Chief Executive, Phil Orford. "Expensive parking charges and insufficient waiting times will only drive people away from our town centres and into the hands of large, often out-of-town chains, which can offer free parking. The FPB is urging consumers to support small shops this Christmas and for local authorities to encourage them by removing these parking restrictions."

Many towns and cities allow motorists to park for short periods, with large fines for those in breach of the time limits. The Traffic Management Act 2004, which came into force in March 2008, transferred Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) powers to levy parking charges from the police to local authorities. Currently, more than 350 councils wield these powers.

In the town centre of Knutsford, Cheshire, which is currently administered by Macclesfield Borough Council (MBC), parking restrictions allow motorists to leave their cars for just 30 minutes. Retailers and residents are reporting that there has been an upturn in tickets being issued, in some cases on vehicles parked for just a few seconds in excess of the time limit, since the Council took on the enforcement powers.

MBC has decided to waive car parking charges from 3pm for two Thursdays in succession in the run up to Christmas, on 11 and 18 December, in order to boost trade during late-night shopping hours.

"We recognise that retailers are having a hard time and we want to play our part in helping them at this crucial time for shops," said Frank Keegan, leader of the Council. "Late-night opening is a traditional part of Christmas shopping but, by making parking free from 3pm, we will also help shops which will close at the usual time in the early evening."

However, the FPB believes that this does not go far enough and is unlikely to significantly stimulate additional footfall. Parking restrictions should also be removed throughout the week and at weekends.

"The main problem in Knutsford is that you can only park for half an hour, which means you can't really do anything. People just don't bother coming into the town," said Gemma Littlewood, who works in Christal Tips nail salon in King Street, Knutsford. "Those who do come to town tend to come on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as Thursdays, so also removing parking restrictions then would be a great idea. This initiative just doesn't go far enough."

Bryan Stuart's printing business, Lithotech Design and Print, is located in Red Cow Yard in Knutsford. Faced with local businesses using competitors from as far away as Blackpool, Mr Stuart is trying to set up a coalition of business-owners in the town.

"As we have been canvassing support, parking has been mentioned as a major disincentive to trade," said Mr Stuart. "We would like the public to spend some money in their local shops and also for companies in Knutsford to do business with each other locally. It's important for businesses in towns like Knutsford to support each other."

According to a spokesman for Derbyshire District Council, uniform on-street parking charges will be introduced in 2009. Three years ago in Castleton, Derbyshire, parking metres proved so unpopular that they were vandalised and subsequently removed. FPB member Brian Johnson, of The Old Barn outdoor clothing centre in the village, is concerned at plans to re-install them.

"They want to re-impose parking metres for almost a mile outside the village. It has been done before and certainly deterred visitors – the impact on footfall was noticeable," said Mr Johnson. "Over the years since they were removed, there has been a gradual but significant increase in trade. It's a question of convenience. If people are forced to park a long way outside the village in order to avoid paying parking charges, they will just go somewhere else altogether."

Parking restrictions hitting crucial Christmas trade, warns business lobby group

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