'Online, not charges, hitting trade'
CAR park charges return to towns in Gedling next week – and business owners are angry the borough council is blaming a downturn in trade on internet shopping.
The council plans to talk to traders about the future of shopping in the borough after suggestions that online shopping and changed buying habits are damaging trade.
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Coun Roland Spencer said that high streets were changing to a cafe culture
But businesses insist car park charges introduced by the council in August are driving shoppers away.
Parking for 30 minutes was free over Christmas but this ends next week.
Phil Chambers, owner of butcher AE Chambers in Front Street and a member of the Arnold Business Forum, said: "We have spent a lot of time listening to the council and putting our feelings forward and it's as if whatever we say, they don't listen to it."
Mr Chambers said he disagreed with claims that internet shopping was partly to blame for a slump in trade.
He said: "People want to go into a butchers and see what they are buying and the shops on the retail parks have online shopping but they aren't suffering because they have free parking.
"Until August my trade was growing. The town is dying a death. We want to encourage people to come into Arnold. I wish the councillors would just listen to the traders."
Council figures show that before charging was introduced car parks were 90% full; at peak times in August and September last year they were between 40% and 60% full.
The Arnold Business Forum, which re-formed over the drop in trade since charging, said trade was now being lost to retail parks and supermarkets.
Lisa McNamara, owner of estate agent Solutions, said: "The parking figures back up what the Arnold traders are trying to get across to Gedling."
Member Neil Bavin added: "The council were in a mess financially. What they have done is rob Peter to pay Paul."
Michael Price, of Rowbottoms butchers, Front Street, said: "[They are] just trying to deflect it and say the high street is affected more by other things."
Council leader Roland Spencer said he believed high streets were changing and pointed towards a "successful cafe culture" in areas like Mapperley.
He said resistance to parking charges was falling.
sarah.firth@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
10 Comments
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by Nick, Arnold
Monday, February 01 2010, 7:47AM
“Like Mapperley Plains? This is like what the car park guy said to me- 'Well, it worked in West Bridgford'. I asked him if he knew the difference between there and Arnold. 'No, I live in Derby' was the response. Has no-one grasped the fact that Arnold has been allowed to degenerate and now people simply won't shop there? I had a visitor who innocently assumed that Front St must be 'the really bad part of Nottingham'. Charges are the nail in the coffin; laying block paving in front of all the charity shops, pubs, bookmakers, amusement arcades and empty shops is like sticking a picture of flowers on the side of your wheeliebin. Pointless.”
by Jan Thomas, Mapperley Plains
Friday, January 29 2010, 3:56PM
“I'm well over 45, have no problems with the net but fail to see how one can shop on line - taking a prescription into the chemist, having one's hair done,airmailing parcels to Australia, getting a pair of tights they'reI needed just before going somewhere important, these don't seem to be possible.
And what about just shoppng?Wandering round just looking and seeing things you would like, rather than those you need? Yopu can tell this charging idea came from a man. Men have no idea about shopping.”
by david lee, gedling
Thursday, January 28 2010, 9:31PM
“I wonder where Roland Spencer goes shopping?”
by Steve, Mapperley
Thursday, January 28 2010, 4:06PM
“I've got broadband internet access, but try as I might I just can't seem to be able to order some locally produced spuds, onions, and nice sausages for my tea tonight. (Sigh) I suppose that means I'll have to pop into Mapperley and use its top-quality grocers and butchers; but wait! I've got to pay to park, even though I'm only going to be there for less than 10 minutes! And I've not got enough loose change; only a £10 note. So I might get fined whilst nipping into a shop to get change to buy a ticket to allow me to park whilst nipping to the shops! Ah, **** it, I'll just go to Sherwood, or some faceless superstore.
It's not 'cafe culture' that keeps places like Mapperley alive, it's ordinary people regularly going there to actually buy ordinary products and services.
Charging for car-parking is like killing and cutting open the goose that lays golden eggs to see how it works.”
by John, Carlton
Thursday, January 28 2010, 4:03PM
“"He said resistance to parking charges was falling." - Yes, probably because of the free period. Resistance will rise when they are abolished.
The internet argument is ridiculous. As if I would order a paintbrush and bag of dusbin liners over the internet rather than pop down to Wilko's. Pathetic.
And we want proper shops not a pretend starbucks - never could understand the mentality of those people who sit by a busy main road like Mapperley top or Carlton road, freezing their bits off, yelling to each other to be heard over the passing lorries and buses and drinking an overpriced cup of coffee that goes cold within a couple of minutes.
If they think they look cosmopolitan then I must inform them they don't - they look like twits.”