The Forum of Private Business (FMB) wants local authorities across the country to get rid of town centre car parking charges in order to help retailers, a move that would be welcomed by Stockport’s town centre traders.
With councils starting to put together their budget plans for the 2013/14 year, which are traditionally announced in the last week of February, the FMB is urging councils to make car parking free for shoppers, whcih it says would increase footfall in town centres, make them more attractive places for firms to do business, and reduce the number of vacant commercial premises.
The lobby group described any such move as ‘one of the most business-friendly concessions’ a council could make for small retailers in what is promising to be another challenging trading year for the sector.
The FMB’s head of policy, Alex Jackman, said: “High streets across the country are under threat and have been for many years now from the likes of out-of-town shopping centres where parking is universally free. Then there’s the internet and the rise of e-tailers taking an increasingly bigger slice of a shrinking consumer pie.
“It doesn’t take a genius to work out that councils charging people ever more for the privilege of coming in to their town centres to spend their hard earned cash is not the best plan to grow footfall. Set it against a backdrop of spiralling motoring costs and it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Read more at EN online