Anger as free Christmas parking is withdrawn (From Malvern Gazette)

Anger as free Christmas parking is withdrawn

11:32am Friday 24th October 2008

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TRADERS are “disgusted” at a council decision to withdraw free weekend car parking in the run-up to Christmas.

Historically car parking has been free in Malvern Hills District Council car parks every Friday and Saturday throughout December.

However this year shoppers will only be able to park for free on the final Christmas shopping weekend, Friday and Saturday, December 19-20.

MHDC’s head of service excellence Ivor Pumfrey said the council had to balance the cost of offering concessionary car parking against the financial pressures it is currently facing.

But Great Malvern Association of Traders (GMAT) chairman Robin Elt called the decision ‘appalling’.

“The traders are disgusted about this, and we all believe the district council is being pretty miserly over this issue,” he said. “The revenue that they make from this is probably pretty minimal, and we think that they should be extending the spirit of Christmas to the community as a whole.”

Fellow GMAT member Chris Marks, co-owner of the Iapetus Gallery in Belle Vue Terrace, believes traders will suffer as a consequence.

“The free parking helps to encourage more people into the town to come and spend their money here rather than in Worcester of Hereford,” he said. “It is a shame that the council cannot support the traders more. There are a lot of new businesses in the town that are working hard to make Great Malvern a better, more vibrant place to be.”

MHDC leader Serena Croad said they simply could not afford to offer free weekend parking throughout December.

“Our car parking revenue is considerably down on previous years when we have offered this,” she said. “We are still supporting the town’s economic prosperity by offering free parking on the Friday and Saturday before Christmas to encourage people to come and visit and do their shopping here.

“We are still the only district council that offers free parking before Christmas, and we are the only one that offers concessionary car parking discs for our residents.”

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