Nailsea petitions against parking fees

Traders in Nailsea have started petitions to stop car parking fees coming to their town.

One petition which already has hundreds of signatures warns that Nailsea High Street will become a 'ghost town' with shops closing and many redundancies if parking charges are introduced.

And it predicts 'retail shops in Nailsea will become a memory'.

Cafes, shops, hairdressers, barbers, bars, pubs and estate agents are collecting signatures asking cash-strapped North Somerset Council to think again about introducing fees at its council-owned car parks.

The Original Factory Shop in the High Street filled 16-pages in days of putting the petition on its counter.

The first petition was started by waitress Nichola Tuttiet, of Gilly's cafe, who is supported by Stuart Burge, boss of Hensons estate agents.

But others include one at the Courtyard wine bar, barbers, garden shop and solicitors.

Nichola said: "Introducing parking fees will kill businesses and people like me will lose their jobs."

Henson letting agent Angela Casali said:  "It will just encourage internet transactions rather than people using their High Street shops."

North Somerset district and Nailsea town councillor Jan Barber said: "I think the business case for parking fees in Nailsea is abysmal.

"The argument is that Nailsea is bearing better than most in the current economic climate but I don't think any of our shops are blooming.

"I think the petition is an excellent idea...I am trying to find out when a decision is going to be made.

"Currently I am being given conflicting advice, with some people saying it will be in December and others say it will be sometime next year.

"What worries me is that older people are not going to potter down to the town centre every day for a cup of coffee and to buy a few things if they have to pay to park.

"They are going to make it a weekly shopping trip and therefore traders are going to suffer." 

North Somerset Council currently owns three car parks in Nailsea at Clevedon Road, Link Road and Station Road.

The other large car park at Stockway South belongs to Nailsea Unit Trust owners of the shopping precinct and Tesco supermarket has its own car park.

All offer three hours of free parking with the exception of Clevedon Road which has spaces for long stay commuters.

The car parks owned by North Somerset are managed by Nailsea Town Council which pays for contractor Euro Car Parks to enforce the parking rules.

A delegation of leading retailers, councillors, town centre bosses and chamber of trade representatives have already held crisis talks to discuss fighting the proposals.

They fear the authority's need to make £47 million budget cuts in the next four years could have a serious affect on the continued viability of local businesses.

But all were shocked that the district council is also considering introducing pay and display meters in town centre streets and charging for use of disabled bays.

Nailsea Chamber of Trade & Commerce president Gilly Chu who runs the High Street Gilly's cafe said any charges could deter people from visiting the town.

Mrs Chu said: "The chamber has always said that the introduction of parking charges would have a detrimental effect on the town.

"We sell Nailsea on the fact there is free parking.

"Other places like The Mall, at Cribbs Causeway, do not charge for parking and if the council starts to in Nailsea then it will deter people from coming here.

"People on a limited budget will have to take in to consideration the parking fees when they come here and in turn may be forced to go elsewhere.

"We are not out of recession and any charges will have a dire affect on traders which are already struggling.

"There is also the issue that if charging is introduced it will force people to park on the side roads and estates and this could lead to an increase in illegal parking.

"Parking charges is something which has always been resisted and the chamber will continue to do so."

Nailsea Town Council clerk, Ian Morrell said: "The town council has always been opposed to the introduction of parking charges which has been tried in the past."

North Somerset Council deputy leader Elfan Ap Rees said: "We are looking at all the options on car parking throughout the district as a budget measure. 

"We've had a working group looking at this as well as our strategic planning and economic development scrutiny panel but no decisions have been made yet."

Trader's chairman Janet Hendry said Nailsea does not have the 'tourism' element which attracts visitors to Clevedon, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare.  

She said; "Nailsea is a functional town where people from the local area come to shop, do their banking etc, and meet friends in cafés and pubs. 

"The existence of free parking is very important to Nailsea –a 'selling point' even - it is advertised on large bollards on each of the three main roads leading into the town. 

"The imposition of parking charges will drive visitors away from the town.  

"Many of the businesses operating in Nailsea town centre are small and are already struggling to cope with the impact of the recession.  

"Any further downturn will have a negative effect and is likely to result in even more businesses closing."

And commercial letting agent Ian Thompson who represents the owners of the shopping precinct added his voice to those opposed to the proposals to introduce car parking fees.

Mr Thompson said: "I am of the firm view that in the depth of the current recession is not the time to introduce parking charges in Nailsea.

"Many of the retailers in the town centre are under severe pressure and any measures which makes Nailsea less attractive or more inconvenient to shop could cause a collapse in confidence in Nailsea as a viable destination for retailers to operate. 

"The town has strong competition from the major centres at Cabot Circus and Cribbs Causeway, as well as a degree of competition from its neighbours in Portishead and Clevedon. 

"I perceive Nailsea as a 'convenience' location with regular but small scale shopping trips for essentials, hence it must be convenient to park or it will not get used.

"As such NUT are embarking on a campaign to bring customers back to Nailsea, to make it the hub of the community, and provide a reason for its catchment to come into town, rather than visit one of its competitors.

"To introduce parking charges would be completely counter to this objective, and stifle regeneration.

"There is a real danger of 'killing the goose'.

"A parking charge would be a 'tax' on local voters and workers, putting their livelihoods at risk at a very difficult time, and in my view could well be an unsound commercial decision for little proven return to the council."